


Repentance

by ThePurpleChronicler



Category: Split (2016), Unbreakable (2000)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-22
Updated: 2019-06-17
Packaged: 2019-10-14 12:25:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 11
Words: 28,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17508602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePurpleChronicler/pseuds/ThePurpleChronicler
Summary: Casey and Kevin's paths cross once more, however, with an unforeseen circumstance. Kevin has taken back the light from the Horde but faces the consequences of losing his life all those years, the actions of Patricia, Dennis, Hedwig and worse of all, The Beast that resides deep in his mind. Kevin seeks out Casey to repent for his actions, but will she help him after everything?





	1. A Light Now Taken

Casey sits silently in the College library, reading a book she never thought she'd ever read again, The Beauty and The Beast, however, she's found herself reading the Brothers Grimm version of the story. Fitting really, as three weeks ago she was abducted and almost eaten by the Horde that occupies Kevin Wendell Crumb's body, by the veritable personification of a Beast; The Beast as they called him. The encounter was and continues to be simply unforgettable, and not in a genuine way, no, every time Casey tries to sleep she finds herself reminiscing about the way The Beast twisted those iron bars, devoured her friends, and took a chunk out of her leg. However, she cannot forget that she fought back against The Beast, that she wasn't just going to give up and allow herself to die, to let herself be consumed by a monster. She'd shot him, twice, in the thorax and abdomen, giving him her all, prepared to resume shooting until he finally went down. It was only when he realised that she was 'pure' i.e. abused and raped every week by her Uncle, that he decided to let her go. Even with her Uncle locked up for a very, very long time, she can't seem to be rid of the other Beast in her life, wherever he may be. Sometimes she wonders where Kevin is, whether or not it's Dennis, Patricia or little Hedwig in the light; some things are better left forgotten, but if only Casey could.

"Casey, honey, it's close time," Miss Sorola, the College Librarian softly speaks to her, her wonderful smile still glued to her face, even after a long day. "Did you get lost in your reading again?"  
"Oh shit, I did it again?!" Casey sighs, staring at one of the library windows, seeing that the light in the sky is dying out. "The next bus isn't for an hour at least, I'm better off just walking home, I'd make it in the equal time." Why Casey was speaking her own thoughts out loud for the librarian to hear was unknown, especially to Miss Sorola, who just awaits Casey to leave the library so she can lock it up. "I'm doing it again, goodnight, Miss Sorola."  
"Goodnight, my dear," Miss Sorola pauses, calling out to Casey immediately. "Casey! Do you need a ride home?!"  
"No thank you, Miss Sorola, I'll be able to handle myself."  
It took Casey a few minutes to find an exit that wasn't locked, and after finding herself from the premises of the College, she began her long walk home, placing eyephones in each of her ears, but setting the volume low enough that she can hear if someone is coming up behind her. After everything that has happened to her, it's become a habit to ensure that she's as safe as possible, primarily when she's walking alone at night. That's where her secret weapon comes into play, a weapon she's not scared of using, no matter the situation. It was only a matter of time before she started catching someone's attention, and unfortunately for Casey, it's not someone she knows, instead, a small group of concealed figures who walk on the other side of the road, following her or coincidentally walking the very route, at a corresponding pace, dressed in concealing clothing. Philadelphia is a dangerous city after all, but if Casey acts smart, she can spare herself a confrontation, it's the last thing she needs on her plate. That's when she begins passing her first option; a 7-Eleven.

"Alright, all casual now, Casey," she mutters to herself before stopping in front of the 7-Eleven, acting like she's staring at the posters at the front of the store. She continues like that for a slow and enduring minute, the unbreakable want to look back to see if her stalkers are still stalking is challenging to shake off, but she must stay put as it would just give her position away. Instead, she finds herself inside the 7-Eleven, prepared to wait it out as long as tolerable, or call the police if she feels any more endangered by the proximity of the outsiders.  
"Hello, Casey," the Owner greets, noting her turmoil. "Is everything okay?"  
"I'm not sure, to be honest, I feel like somebody's watching me," she admits, finding herself staring outside one of the windows. "I can't see them anymore."  
"Who's watching you?" The Owner questions, hand placed on the store phone. "Do you want me to call the police?"  
"If I knew who was watching me, I wouldn't need to be anxious. Maybe it's just in my head, I don't know, I'm sorry, Mr Dawson, have a good night, yeah?"  
"Of course, Casey, of course, if you're feeling any more anxious, just come back here and I'll call you a cab."  
"Thank you, Mr Dawson," Casey thanks before exiting the store, casually and discreetly enough to observe the entire street view without appearing obscure. "All clear, I guess it was just my imagination."  
Casey turns to proceed on her walk home but is stopped by the sight of the small assembly of figures, standing on the other side of the road, gazing at her silently, probably with concealed weapons beneath their jackets. She must seem like the ideal target; young, beautiful, a student at an exorbitant college, but what they don't know, is she remembers every street and alley-way, and with her own secret weapon concealed in her study bag, if she chooses the right alley-way, they'll be the sitting ducks. Casey dashes down the street at a full-sprint, using the distance separating them to her advantage, knowing that they will be following closely behind; she knows where to go, she's memorized the distance and the location, practised while working out, she's the one with the advantage here, not them. At least that's what she keeps telling herself.

After running a fast-tracked minute, she turns into the own-way alley-way, finds herself at the edge of the wall and turns to face the entrance, her back sitting against the brick wall behind her. She reaches into her study bag, pulling out a Colt 1911 before cocking it, feeling her way around the grip and getting as comfortable as possible. That's when the game becomes a waiting game, the worse part about it, the sight gives her deja vu, evoking the time when she waited for the Beast to come for her; the sight of him unnaturally writhing on the ceiling, shattering every light one by one as he gradually found himself closer to her. She can feel her heart pounding in her chest, her hands shaking from the anticipation, and her stomach sinking into itself as the shadows begin creeping towards her.  
"Girly girly?! Where are you?! Oh, there you are!"  
"Oh no, she's got a gun, whatever will we do," one of the strangers chuckle, pulling his own gun from his concealed jacket. "Oh wait, we've got this?!"  
"What do you want from me?!" Casey questions, aiming his gun at the closest stranger. "I'm not afraid to use this."  
"We know you go to Drexel College, girly, everyone who goes to Drexel is loaded with cash, so you better give it up or we'll do something we won't regret."  
"You can do this the easy way or the hard way."  
"We don't want to hurt you, just give us your shit."  
"How about the hard way?" Casey snarls, firing a shot at the strangers, clipping one of them in the shoulder.

"FUCK! YOU BITCH! NOW WE WANNA HURT YOU!" The clipped stranger screams, aiming her handgun at Casey and firing, the sound forcing Casey to close her eyes, but she feels no pain, no burning sensation in her chest or stomach, nothing at all. Is she dead?  
"What the fuck?! Where did you come from?! Get the fuck outta' here!"  
Casey opens her eyes, standing in front of her is a large shirtless being with a bald head, muscular with thick veins surrounding the entirety of his body. He stands tall and intimidating, staring down the strangers as his large hands clench into fists and his entire body shakes from his heavy breathing.  
"Leave her alone," the shirtless being growls in a dark harrowing voice. "Now."  
One of the strangers swings a large wrench at the shirtless being, but as the wrench impacts him, it bends violently into an abnormal shape. The being then yanks the wrench from the stranger and breaks in half, throwing it away like it's nothing.  
"No way. It's you," the stranger gasps, his face suddenly drained of colour. "Let's get the hell out of here."  
The strangers run from the scene, disappearing from view in a mere couple seconds, leaving just Casey and her not so mysterious saviour. However, her saviour doesn't turn to face her, not quite yet. The veins fade from his body like they never existed, and he takes time putting on a checked button-up shirt and black hoodie wrapped around his waist, he wears no shoes but doesn't seem to care. That's when he turns to face Casey, a nervous smile glued to his face, his body language signalling anxiousness and discomfort.  
"Hello, Casey, um," he pauses, taking a few steps away from the still panicked young woman. "Before you shoot me, I just need you to know, I'm not here to hurt you, that's not who I am."  
"K- Kevin?! Is that you?!"  
"Yes, dear Casey, I've taken it back, my encounter with you encouraged me to take the light back, now I'm the one who looks after everyone, I get to help them feel protected. But coming back to the light has caused to face the consequences of the Horde's actions, the things I must repent for."  
"What?! H- How?! What do you mean?!"  
"Shit, I know this is presumably so complicated right now, but if you feel content, and I understand if you wouldn't feel so, I can explain everything to you, and what comes next."  
After taking a few seconds to breathe, Casey slowly and steadily lowers her gun, unsure as to whether or not to keep it in her hand, just in case. But this is Kevin she's speaking to, she knows that like the back of her hand, it's difficult to forget the contrast between Kevin and the rest of the Horde, he's just so different in comparison. But, he was just The Beast?! How is that possible?! Curiosity gets the better of her. "Okay, let's talk."


	2. What Comes Next

At first, Kevin and Casey's walk was silent, something to be expected, of course, seeing Casey was almost mugged and a Kevin-controlled Beast leapt in to save the day; a nice contrast in comparison to The Beast almost eating her. They walked a couple of blocks before Casey finally spoke, asking him where he's been hiding, of course after threatening to shoot him to attempt to pry out the truth, hoping that it isn't just a mind game Hedwig is playing, to which he just laughed, stating that if it was Hedwig, they'd be talking about Drake rather than himself. That, to Kevin's surprise, made Casey laugh, easing her mind a little from the series of current events, even if she's walking with a supernatural fugitive. Kevin, however, remains mostly quiet, secretly uncertain about the right things to say or do for that matter as his mind is focussed on the remorse and horror that floods his split mind, something Casey notices. Now passing the Delaware River, Casey sees an opportunity she hasn't taken since she was a little kid, since before everything went downhill in her life.  
"Kevin?" Casey asks, surprising herself with how unreluctant she is. "Uh, Kevin?"  
"Yes, Miss Casey? I apologize my mind is elsewhere," Kevin says, staring down at the shoes he slipped on before their walk.  
"Would you like to go for a walk along the river with me? There are still so many questions I want to ask, and we still have a while to walk before we reach my neighbourhood. You haven't really explained anything yet," Casey says, awkwardly giggling under her breath. "So, um, if you want to-"  
"I'd like that very much, Casey, I haven't gone on a walk along the river since, well- since my father passed on, so it would be my pleasure," Kevin smiles, following Casey closely behind as they both head into the river walkway.

"I should probably get to explaining some things, right?"  
"I mean, it wouldn't hurt, last time I saw, well, you, Kevin, you made me promise to kill you," Casey sighs, staring off into the distance of the river. "It's nice to see that you're in control of the light this time."  
"After years of being buried deep mind, I was forced to watch the others do terrible, terrible things, particularly Patricia and Hedwig, Dennis to a lesser extent, as much as he is a tight-ass, he didn't want anyone to die, even now, at this very moment, he tells me that very statement. If I'm, to be honest with you, Casey, Dennis is one of the main reasons I was able to take back the light, for good this time."  
"Dennis of all people? Dennis, who kidnapped me, Claire and Marcia? He's one of the reasons you have control of the light?" Casey questions, shocked to her core.  
"He'd be offended by your shock and awe, Casey if he could still talk."  
"He used to talk to you?" Casey asks, sitting down on one of the walkway benches. "Wait, what do you mean he used to?"  
"Funny thing about that, they all talk to me, Casey, every single one of them; some are quiet others can't stop talking, like Hedwig and Jad for example," Kevin explains, sitting down beside her, sighing as he stares off into the distance. "The only one who doesn't speak is the Beast, who I can tell is just itching to get out of his biological prison cell, something I cannot let happen. That is why I constrain him rather than letting him constrain me, as you saw previously observed, I only let him out when utterly necessary, essentially when I'm defending myself or others, like that person they're calling the Overseer. Rumour is, after the second murders, whoever the Overseer is, they're hunting me down in order to take me out."

"I heard about the second murders," Casey pauses, trying to gain eye contact with Kevin, who begins to shake erratically at the thought of the topic. "You took the light after the second murders, didn't you? Something snapped in you, and you were tired of watching them control everything you do, the Beast, Patricia, all of them, right? You took control because that's what the rest of them wanted, all of them knew the only person in the world that could make them feel safe, is Kevin Wendell Crumb. Am I right?"  
"After the second murders, Dennis began speaking to me and the others, planning a revolt against Patricia, Hedwig and the Beast, strength in numbers, he said. He told everyone that he never wanted it to go as far as it has, promised that he won't let any more murders take place, that he'll try and make things right. That's one of the last things Dennis said to all of us, essentially in order for me to take the light back, he had to destroy his own place in my mind, but he's still in here, somewhere, I'm just not sure if he'll ever come back, you know? Dennis is in the darkest pit of my mind trying to find his way out, trust me, Casey, me and most of the others are looked for him, we haven't found him yet. I like to hope that someday he'll come back to us."  
"Do you think he can hear us right now?"  
"I like to think that, too, Dennis did something I never thought he would and took the consequences as a sort of redemption, I guess. He made to promise to keep them all safe, keep Patricia and the Beast in line, but also not to give Hedwig too much of a hard time, as he's nine after all. Hedwig says hello, by the way, he's been trying to get me to say hello for about twenty minutes."  
"Sounds like Hedwig," Casey scoffs, chuckling a little.

Kevin and Casey stay in silence for a few seconds before bursting out in loud, awkward laughter, a defence mechanism they both share when in awkward or silent situations. Their laughter silences after half a minute, and now only the music of the river, as well as the animals that inhabit it fill their ears, it's almost therapeutic, to say the least. For Kevin, the music reminds him of the zoo and when he first started working there; the peacefulness about it, how easy it was to get lost in the sights, the smells and the sounds, how easy it was to almost getting fired when you spent too long admiring the view of the lions and tigers, when you should have been cleaning or patrolling. For Casey, the music reminds her of her first hunting trip with her dad, before her Uncle began his crusade of cruelty and abuse, how natural everything felt, especially as a young child. They share this quiet, peaceful moment, reminiscing on how easily and swiftly things change; Casey went from almost getting mugged to speaking to the man who almost technically ate her, Kevin, he went from climbing on the rooftops to rescuing a blast from the past as people say, how quickly things escalate.  
"You know, besides from being a wanted man and getting hit with a wrench, this has been one of the most peaceful days I've had in a long time."  
"I have to agree with you there, you can't deny the view of a sunset."  
"Casey?"  
"Yes, Kevin?" She answers.

"If I had the ability to take everything we did back, I would, you know that right? The kidnappings, the murders, losing control of my own mind for years. It all haunts me, the things my physical body has been forced to do, the things I've been forced to watch while I couldn't do anything about it."  
"None of that is your fault, okay? Kevin Wendell Crumb didn't kill anyone, you didn't kill anyone, hey, look at me," Casey says, placing her hand on his. "It takes an iron will to get through each day after everything that's happened to you, you're so much stronger than you understand, Kevin, and I don't mean physically. What your mother did to you made you who you are, made you how strong you are, and if I'm, to be honest with you, Kevin, if what happened between us didn't happen, I'd still be getting abused and raped by my Uncle. It was our confrontation, between me and the Beast, didn't happen, I probably would have killed myself by now. You made me stronger and braver than I've ever felt in my life. Beast or not, it was you, Kevin, who gave me that courage, so thank you for everything."  
"And thank you for helping me find my place in the light once more, you had a part in that, too, Casey, alongside Dennis and others. It's like, you have this power to bring me back, no matter how far gone I am, so I thank you for that, Casey."  
"It's, uh, it's getting late, do you mind- walking me home?"  
"It would be an honour, Casey, but there's one more thing I want you to know, and that is what comes next in my story. The next piece of the puzzle, as Patricia would say."  
"Okay, well tell me, what are you going to do now?"  
"I'm- I- I'm going to do the only thing I can now." I'm going to turn myself in."  
"What is that, Kevin? Please, tell me," she begs.  
"I'm going to turn myself in."


	3. A Plan Now Problematic

After dropping Casey to her home, Kevin retreated to his own safe haven, the second floor of a warehouse that's been abandoned for years, now formed into a comfortable flat for him and the others that reside in his mind, well, at least comfortable by his standards. Ever since taking back the light, Kevin has moved from place to place, never staying in one position for too long, always having a backup plan and always afraid of the authorities finding him before he can turn himself in by his own accords. He'd promised himself he'd never stay in a single place for more than a couple days, that was a week ago, he thought he'd be able to leave like he's done with every other place, but perhaps he's tired of moving? Or perhaps, maybe, just maybe, Casey has changed his perspective on what a home feels like; walking her home and seeing the home she's built for herself, it's incredible, and he's somewhat jealous of her, in more ways in just one.  
"I know what you're all thinking, but we must think about this place as a potential home, at least until we figure out how to negotiate us without it ending in violence, without anyone getting hurt, too many people have gotten hurt as it is. Luke, Jade, as well as the rest of you know we all protect each other no matter what, that's what we do, that's what families do, and yes, that counts Patricia and Hedwig. As for the Beast, no matter the discussions must remain amongst us, he grants the abilities we have, he's our armoured shell as Orwell would call, in the end, despite his savagery and beliefs of murdering, mutilating then eating the innocent, he exists only to protect me and to protect us. If we cast him aside, he ceases to exist, and if he ceases to exist, there may be a possibility the abilities he wields also cease to exist, we cannot risk that; no Beast, no abilities to protect-"  
Kevin pauses his speech to the Horde, leaving the entire second-floor silent, almost silent; it doesn't take superhuman senses to hear the heavy footsteps rushing up the stairwell, boots against the rough cemented steps. What's difficult is pinpointing the numbers, however, from the sounds of things, it's not a small group, and even more, they're trying to be silent too.

"Everyone, just stay calm," Kevin whispers, watching as a strange large object rolls into the room, followed by a flash of light and ear-piercing screech. It sends Kevin's head throbbing violently, with every member of the Horde screaming in distress as a now panicked Jade falls to the ground, hands covering her ears. "Shit."  
Before Kevin can find himself back to his feet, he's blinded by a sudden emergence of light onto his face.  
"We have Crumb in our sights, operator, confirm extraction?"  
"Fuck extraction, operator, confirm liquidation?"  
"Who are you? What the fuck do you want with me? Look at me, I'm just a teenage girl, you don't want to do this!" Jade begs, trying to block the light from her eyes. "Just leave me the fuck alone!"  
"You must be the bad-mouth, Jade," one of the figures speaks from the light. "Don't be afraid, we won't hurt you, we just want Kevin."  
"You misunderstand, if you hurt Kevin, you hurt us!" Jade begs as she stands up, adjusting her stance, posture, then suddenly her facial expressions.  
"Don't worry, Jade, we're going to be okay," Kevin says, taking back the light.  
"Kevin Wendell Crumb," one of the figures says as a sudden abundance of weapons is suddenly drawn onto him, he can't see them, but he can definitely hear them. "For multiple accounts of murder, mutilation and cannibalism, you're under arrest, you can come with us willingly or we'll tranq your ass, your choice."  
"Not that I can see much, but I've had several encounters with the police force to know what the police force sound and act like, I apologize to each of you, but you all don't appear to make the cut," Kevin chuckles before feeling a prick in his shoulder, his eyes slowly peering onto a dart that sits in his shoulder, the effects quickly taking place, causing him to fall to his knees. "I guess I deserve that one."  
"Just shut the fuck up already," another figure growls, flaying the stock of his weapon towards Kevin's face, only to have it discontinued by Kevin's left hand, which is beginning to grow significantly in size. Kevin begins rising to his feet, his body mass intensifying which forces out the dart and rips his shirt while his right-hand tears off the remnants, with thick veins building up onto his body. Kevin's now large hand begins to bend the weapon, cracking the shell before tossing it all together.

"LEAVE THIS PLACE OR I WILL HURT YOU!" The Beast screams in a harrowed voice. "LEAVE US ALONE!"  
"OPEN FIRE!"  
Before The Beast can react, he's swarmed by a barrage of automatic-rounds, the sudden force almost causing him to sway, although the rounds don't pierce his skin, it's not exactly painless, feeling like barrages of wasp stings. The Beast lunges towards one of the soldiers, grabbing and tossing him like a softball into one of the pillars, hearing a dreadful crunch on impact. Using his super speed, the Beast breezes through the loft, tossing and crashing anyone that gets in the way of his exit as the bullets continue coming, it appears either the police force has gotten much larger, or Kevin was right and this isn't the police force at all, but a different group entirely. The Horde had their suspicions, and they were right, the Beast knows their escape plans to a tee, while Kevin and the others had designed and repeated delicately, he watched from afar, taking in every minor and major detail, knowing that they'd find use for him ultimately, that he wouldn't be glued to the dark for an extensive amount of time. The escaping part, that's where he came into play, where his savagery and all-power could be put to the test, vigorous thing too, Kevin knew there would be a strain, but this much? If he wasn't let out from his cage, Kevin wouldn't have lasted.  
"KILL HIM!"  
"OPERATOR, HE JUST WON'T DIE!"  
Grabbing a large table, the Beast tosses it across the room, rapping multiple soldiers flat onto the floor before crashing through the plan's designated window, the smell and touch of fresh air filling the room as he leaps into the outside. The Beast slams into a wall before digging his fingers deep into the brick, effortlessly climbing up the wall and onto the rooftop, but the escape is yet to be over, the pursuers are still in pursuit, he must continue on, he must continue running. However, before he can continue on the escape, the Beast is stricken hard in the stomach by an incoming bullet; a clear and precise sniper round, hitting him directly onto the stomach scar left by Casey, the round blow that causes the Beast to stagger and howl in pain. The Beast spends little time searching for the shooter, continuing on his escape as he runs on all fours, covering triple the distance as he disappears into the night.

* * *

Casey stares out her window and into the distance, focusing on the hundreds upon hundreds of lights that remain in the city as she breathes out cigarette smoke, making sure to blow it out all the window and into the freshness of the night. Her eyes remain locked on the city, it seems that New York truly is the city that never sleeps, and as the children in her foster home, Casey, being the oldest, is the only one who has her own room, some well-needed privacy, considering her life a few months ago was seriously lacking privacy, in more ways than one. Her own room with a lock on the door, it was her foster parents', Isabelle and Jeffrey Janice, welcome home gift to her, of course, there are rules regarding the lock on the door, rule number one being no strange boys in her room. Not that she trusts boys enough to have them in her room, but to know that she doesn't have that choice bums her out, she's still a teenager after all. When her mind isn't focusing on the city, it shifts to the thought of Kevin, everything he'd told her, his plans of negotiation, well, at least the plan he has so far, it seems to be working progress and a noble one at that. It doesn't take a genius to know how kind-hearted, however, broken Kevin Wendell Crumb is, as well as the pure personalities that reside in his mind, with the exception of the rare. Simply grasping that Kevin wants to be generous and caring, and loved above all else, knowing him the way Casey knows him, the real him, it's difficult for your heart to ignore that. Casey sighs, inhaling more of the cigarette smoke before softly and delicately blowing what exhales out the window, but before she can take another puff, she hears a sudden thud on the roof.

"Um, what was that?" Casey questions, making sure that she's smoking a cigarette rather than a doobie. "I'm definitely not high."  
Placing her cigarette onto her ash-tray, Casey grabs onto the frame of her window, slowly peaking her head out the window itself for a couple of seconds before slipping back inside, questioning whether or not she saw what she just saw. He peaks outside the window again, seeing him holding onto the roof tiles, shirtless with a large blackened bruise on his stomach, next to the same spot she once shot him, well, shot the Beast. He's silent, eyes closed and faded, appearing almost like he's asleep, or close to it.  
"Kevin? What are you doing on my roof?" Casey whispers, noticing his grip is loosening. "Are you okay?"  
"Casey, I don't mean to be a burden- but- my loft was raided- whoever it was- they trying to kill me-"  
"Say no more," Casey whispers once more. "Come on in."


	4. Concealment Overseen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to let you know that I've changed my name from TheDarkAndTheBroken to ThePurpleChronicler! Thanks, guys! Just didn't want any confusions :)) Enjoy the chapter!

"They were just everywhere, Casey, every time I squinted it was like their abundance doubled, or tripled for that matter, whoever they were, they had numbers and weapons on their side, they came in fast and with a single objective in mind-"  
"To kill you and the Horde," Casey finishes, watching as Kevin gives her a nod of agreement, using her phone flashlight to track and hold an ice pack to the large black bruise on the left side of his stomach, dark in contrast to the thick large scar on the right side of his stomach. "You mentioned they were wearing police uniforms, equipped with all matter of shit, I think those were the words you used."  
"All matter of shit, indeed, I'm quite sure that part of my explanation was Hedwig speaking, I was and still am, exhausted from the ordeal, took a lot out of me, which I believed was impossible when I leave the Beast in charge, I also imagined that his 'near-invulnerability' would be a little more invulnerable," Kevin softly chuckles. "Apparently I was wrong, at least we didn't die, however, I bet I will wish I'd have died in the morning."  
"They've really given you a number here," Casey whispers, applying a little more pressure on Kevin's wound, causing him to wince in pain. "I'm sorry, I know it hurts, it's going to for a while by the looks of it, Jesus Christ, what the fuck did they hit you with? I shot you twice point blank with a shotgun and it did minimal damage, but this? This almost went through your skin, if you weren't the Beast, Kevin, I'm quite sure the bullet would have split you in moiety."  
"Thank god for the Beast's capabilities then, I like being, you know, whole," Kevin says, making an attempt of a jest, awkwardly laughing it off. "I'll take internal bruising over evisceration."

There's a moment of silence between, however, less extensive in contrast to their recent moments of silence, the silence filled mostly with the groans of Kevin's discomfort and pain, and the shooshing of Casey's soft voice, an almost angelic voice in Kevin's current perspective.  
"So, I- I never saw you for a smoker, Casey," Kevin says, breaking the ice.  
"I didn't start smoking until I began attending my new school, hanging out with my new group of friends, people that accepted me, and peopled that just happened to be smokers and or social smokers," Casey reveals, smirking a little as she glances at her packet of cigarettes. "The rest is history, as they say."  
"I can't blame you, nor would I ever, the first thing I did, besides scream at the very top of my lungs, was considering taking up smoking after I took back the light, as well as other things, many other things."  
"Many other things? Do I want to know, Kevin? Or would you rather save the details?"  
"I considered putting a bullet through my skull, silencing myself and the Horde for good," Kevin says, causing to go silent, staring at him. "But the truth is I wouldn't just be committing suicide, I'd be taking the Horde with me, murdering them, so many of those precious lives inside of my mind, and I was just willing to murder them for the sake of my own peace. In some peculiar way, my people, my family, the Horde, saved my life, and the more I reminisced about it, I wasn't going to let Dennis down after everything he'd down for me, to gift me the light back. All of that is why I'm here, why I decided to change my perspective on myself, change my path of repentance, commit to the right way of going about it."

"Kevin, I'm sorry for everything that has happened to you, it's unfair and unjust, I just wish I was able to change your life for the better," Casey admits, slowly lifting the ice pack from his stomach before applying pressure with her bare hand. "Does that hurt?"  
"No."  
"It's beginning to numb down, if it begins hurting again, I'll fetch another ice pack, and it'll probably begin hurting again, eventually."  
"So, um, what now?" Kevin urges, painfully slipping on the shirt Casey had fetched from her foster dad's wardrobe. "Do you want me to go?"  
"So you can get shot at again? No, Kevin, you're not going anywhere, you can sleep here for the night, the door is locked and my parents normally knock and are very patient people, luckily for us, so they'll give us plenty of awareness."  
"Casey, you don't have to do that-"  
"Kevin Wendell Crumb, for fuck sake, shoosh and accept, it will take you far in life," Casey giggles, watching as Kevin clutches onto one of her pillows. "I don't know where you'll sleep, though."  
"I'm happy on the floor, trust me, I've- I've slept on worst surfaces."  
"I don't even want to know," Casey admits, slowly finding herself onto her queen-sized mattress. "Do you mind getting the light."  
"The light's already off?" Kevin puzzles, almost finding himself comfortable before hearing her voice.  
"No, not the bedroom light," Casey says, shifting her position slightly before flicking on a much smaller and less bright light; a night light. "I'm sorry if this will make sleep difficult for you, I just- I can't sleep without one on, it soothes me."  
"It's okay, Casey, I get it, completely," Kevin says, accepting and understanding the idea. Kevin normally appreciates the darkness, the comfort it brings knowing the danger light brings to him and the Horde, however with a night resulting like this, he would prefer if he could see what was coming at him this time, rather than simply hearing what's coming. After staring Kevin for a short moment, Casey swears she can almost make out a small smile formed on Kevin's mouth, illuminating from the brightness of the night light, the sight is cute, her mind has decided, an adorable sight indeed. A couple of minutes of silence pass, a short couple minutes for the exhausted Kevin, a not so short couple minutes for the not so exhausted Casey.  
"Kevin?"  
"Yes?"  
"Do you mind- um- well, do you mind sleeping next to me? There's plenty of room left on my bed, I- I think I'll be having a difficult time falling asleep tonight and maybe, I'm thinking, perhaps some comfort will help? It's okay if you don't want to, I was just-" Casey proposes, not needing to say any more than she has, interrupted when she begins detecting Kevin as he slips into her bed at a slow and comfortable pace for, unmistakably making sure to not to move or act like the Beast, knowing that it would scare her. Instead, he slips in beside her, sliding his arm towards the underside of her body before stopping altogether, seemingly asking her permission before Casey rises her body slightly, allowing his arm to slip completely under her. The result is finally embracing her in a warm, happy and comfortable position. "Thank you, Kevin."  
"Of course, Casey, of course."  
Allowing both of them to fall asleep peacefully.

* * *

A booming knock on the door causes Casey to shoot awake, her eyes gazing around her room in swift succession, looking for Kevin but he's nowhere to be seen; a sight both terrible and blessing, right as her foster mother, Isabelle Janice, opens the door to the room.  
"What did me and Jeff ask of you, Casey?" Isabelle asks, her tone not showing any signs of irritation, but rather, solicitude. "Please, when we knock, answer the door, but now that I see you're okay and just sleeping in, I'll let it go. Besides, you're probably going to be late for school, no time to get cross with you, Casey."  
"I'm sorry, Isabelle, I just had a crazy night," Casey admits, watching as her foster mother lets out a giggle before a final smirk.  
"Come on, I've made you and the kids some pancakes, I'll be driving the kids to school but I organised a cab for you."  
"I'll be down in a few minutes, just need to, you know, fix my hair and such," Casey replies, watching Isabelle raise an eyebrow cheekily.  
"I'll give you some privacy then, but don't take too long or the kids will eat all of the pancakes, as they do," Isabelle says as she begins walking down the stairs. "I don't want you being later to school."  
"I won't be, Isabelle, I promise," Casey scoffs, letting out a short shriek before closing the door. "That was lucky, I can only imagine if Kevin was still here."  
"Um, I am," Kevin says faintly, the sudden emergence of his voice causing Casey to jump, her feet thudding hard the ground. "Jeez, they'll fucking hear you."  
"Woah, Kevin Crumb actually cursed, now it's my turn, how in the blue fuck did you manage to squeeze underneath my bed?" Casey inquiries, watching as his instantly slides from beneath the bed and back into the open space of her room. "I just don't understand how someone of your size could fit in such a small space."  
"I just imagined how much explaining the alternative would involve, so I thought I would save us the effort," Kevin chuckles, raising his shirt to see that the blackened bruise is even darker than it was last night. "Well, you were right, it hurts worse than it did last night, but I'm okay, you've given me worse."  
"Oh, have I now?" Casey questions further.

"This is just bruising, you, Casey Cooke, left scarring, that's more than what I can for anyone else," Kevin sighs, staring down at the ground. "I shouldn't joke about that topic, you shooting me, I was trying to kill you-"  
"No, the Beast was trying to kill me, you, Kevin, you did none of that! Hey! Look at me," Casey says angrily, placing one hand on his arm and the other on his face. "You listen to me, Kevin Wendell Crumb, you're nothing like the Beast, okay? You're a kind, caring, loving and loyal, but you're a broken man too, a man trying to put the pieces back together, and I want to help you, Kevin, as much as I can, before you turn yourself into the police. I want to be by your side until then Now, will you just shut up and accept that? Please?"  
"Yes, Casey, I will shut up and accept your place by my side."  
"Your promise?"  
"I promise, Casey," Kevin smiles, watching as Casey places a small kiss on his cheek, the feeling making him smile once more; Casey seems to have that effect on him, and he appreciates it. "I was thinking after school today, we could go for another walk again? Along the river, maybe, or somewhere else? If it's safe enough, of course, we don't know where those people could be, and I don't feel like being shot at again tonight. It's just, the night is really the only time I get to walk freely around, nobody can see in the dark-"

"I'd like that, I really would," Casey agrees, suddenly hearing her phone vibrating on her bedside table, before grabbing onto it and answering. Kevin watches as Casey greets the UNKNOWN Caller, her facial expression showing curiousity but otherwise, Kevin can tell she's finding the conversation tedious, until her face begins fading of colour, her eyes meeting Kevin's once more. "It's for you."  
"What?" He asks, taking the phone from Casey and applying it to her ear. "Hello? Who is this?"  
"Kevin Wendell Crumb, it's taking me a long three weeks to track you down, but the combination of last night's overheard gunfire and me witnessing your escape led to the inevitability of me finding you, the time has come for you to be stopped, Kevin. You're sick, you need help, you need to be stopped for good, whether or not that means either of us have to die is completely up to you, I'm not scared of killing you or dying, what I'm scared of is what will happen if you continue your reign on the streets, that is where I come in. I know where you're hiding, and if you do not surrender yourself, and or face me, I will send a police squadron right to the door of your concealer, and I'm sure that's the last thing you want whoever you're hiding with to experience that. What's your choice, Kevin? Do the right thing here, please, I beg you."  
"If it's in your best interest, I planned on doing right in the first place, to surrender myself to the authorities, and you will know soon enough that I am telling the truth, sir. I want a name and address, and you will see me tonight at nine PM. There's no reason for this to become violent."  
"Industrial district, Route 137, the first place you hid after the murders at the zoo, the first place I caught on your scent. As for the name, you'll call me the Overseer."


	5. Transgression To Deviation

It's nearly Nine PM, thunder creeps in the distance as Casey and Kevin trek through the industrial district, hands interlocked, Kevin tried his hardest to tell Casey to stay away from the situation, to not follow him, but he failed, having no choice but to leave her to accompany him. The moment the sun began to set the pair headed out, taking the loneliest yet scenic routes, the routes that minimalised the attention but was somewhat... romantic? Kevin remains unsure as to why that idea ever came to his mind, especially in this time of comprehensive and independent direness, a time where anything can and probably will happen. After the call from the Overseer, Kevin has been especially quiet, speaking less often to Casey as he normally would, or at least has since their reunion, something that she couldn't help but feel concerned about, even if it feels like it's not her place. Unlike Kevin, or at least she suspects, the Overseer doesn't frighten her, especially after her experience with the Beast, who she's not scared, and if she's not scared of the Beast, she knows she won't be scared of whoever this Overseer punk is. The only question is, can this Overseer match up to Kevin's potential? Does he truly have the means to live up to his threats? If so, then perhaps maybe, just maybe, they should be a little worried after all.  
"Kevin? Are we going to talk before we get there?" Casey asks, stopping in her tracks, her arms crossing as Kevin glances at her, looking almost clueless as to how she's feeling about his silence. "Until what happens next, happens?"  
"What's there to talk about, Casey? Whether or not he ended up threatening me, which he did and you, I may add, I'm not looking for a fight with this Overseer, I only wish to explain to him my plans to turn myself in, with you by my side he'll see that I'm not a threat."  
"What's there to talk about? Are you fucking kidding me?! What's there to talk about?! You're- No! We're walking in there blind, we don't know who this Overseer guy is or what he's capable of doing! He was able to track you down by my phone alone, MY PHONE! Meaning he knows who I am, to be fair he probably knew who I was by the reports from three weeks ago, but that's no the point! He's smart, he's tenacious, and will completely knock us all off guard if he gets the chance! All of this is stressing me the fuck out, do you understand that?! And to add more shit, yes, more shit to this fiasco, Kevin is that you've barely said a word to me since we left my home. So, please, tell me, what's up with that?!"  
"Casey," Kevin sighs, moving towards her and placing his hands on each side of her face as a tear rolls down her face, unmistakably derived from the stress. "I-"  
"Kevin Wendell Crumb, I'm scared, not of this situation, or the Overseer, nor the Beast, but I'm scared of what's yet to happen, and honestly, of you being taken away. Kevin, I think I-"

"Kevin Crumb," a voice says from behind them, causing the pair to turn and face the source, with Kevin standing in front of Casey in a protective stance. Standing in the industrial courtyard is a man wearing a dark green rain poncho, his face hidden in the darkness of the hood, the rain that's beginning to fall hiding his face furthermore, leaving only his white facial hair visible. "Ever since hearing about you, I've searched and searched, tasking myself in bringing you to justice."  
"Congratulations, Overseer, it appears you've found what you're looking for," Kevin sighs, closing his eyes for a short moment, sighing deeply. "I know I'm in no place to ask, but may I request something before we get to whatever it is we're about to get to?"  
"Hmmmmmm, sure."  
"Whatever happens next, you just make sure that Casey gets out of this okay, I don't want her being any more immersed in this than she already is, please, can you at least do this? For her."  
"If it's for her, then yes, Kevin, I will ensure Miss Cooke's safety," the Overseer agrees. "What I'm questioning is why you're with Miss Cooke in the first place?"  
"You're smart, aren't you? Why do you think? Because Patricia, Hedwig and the Beast are Kevin's worst alters, not Kevin himself. You're smart, but you seem too quick to judge the original personality, perhaps you should have done your research? To know that Kevin is not a psychopath, but in fact, a mere few of the alters within his mind is."  
"Whether or not he's done his research isn't my business, what's my business is he's accepted my terms to ensure your safety, Casey. For that, thank you, Overseer," Kevin nods, his eyes moving from the Overseer before focusing back on Casey's while remaining to protect her at all times. "I'd like to begin by stating that I planned on turning myself into the authorities the moment I took back control of my physical body, I just- wasn't ready I guess, I'm still working on persuading the Horde that I'll keep them safe while we're behind bars, that's if we don't get the death sentence. Hopefully, they won't bring it back for my sake, a more realistic sentence-"  
"Life behind bars."  
"No," Casey cries.  
"Correct," Kevin confirms, hearing Casey sigh behind him, the sound causing him to groan to himself.

"Not to shock you, Miss Cooke, but I've read extensively about Kevin, 'The Story of Kevin Wendell Crumb and the Horde', his story and the report of the crimes he's committed was omnipresent, with people even comparing him to Elijah Price, a terrorist that resides in a psyche-ward, and the subject of whether or not he should be treated the same way he's been treated, like he's insane."  
"And what is your verdict, Overseer?" Kevin growls. "What do you think should be done with me?"  
"Unlike Elijah Price, I don't think you're insane, I think that perhaps you're at the edge of insanity but not quite insane, not yet at least, so I'd say the ward wouldn't do you much good. As for you're "plan" to turn yourself in, I'm not quite sure I believe you, I don't care if you take that personally, as I'm sure you can imagine, it's quite difficult to listen to a serial killer, let alone believe one. A man that kidnapped, mutilated and consumed six young girls, no, I don't believe the ward will do much good for you at all, prison will fit much better. Life behind bars, Kevin, that's what you're going to have to face, and I will drag you there myself if I have to."  
"You don't want to do that," Casey warns, moving beside Kevin. "If you've truly extensively read about Kevin-"  
"I know about the Beast, in fact, you mentioned the Beast only a few seconds ago, Kevin's supposed Superhuman alias, that's why I'll take any precaution required, but Kevin Wendell Crumb, you're coming with me."  
"I'll turn myself in before the end of the week, but I will do it under my terms. Casey, we're leaving," Kevin says, grabbing onto Casey's hand before turning away to leave the confrontation for good alongside her, only for his arm to be seized by the Overseer in a mere couple seconds. "Let go of me, now."  
"No!" The Overseer growls, heaving Kevin into the courtside, watching as he crashes onto the ground, mud coating his face and shirt. "You're not going anywhere!"  
"You don't wanna' do this, Overseer! I DON'T WANT TO HURT YOU!" Kevin screams, wiping the mud away from his face. "DON'T MAKE ME HURT YOU!"  
"I can't let you leave, Kevin! I refuse to, and no matter how hard you try, no matter what you do, I can't be hurt."

"BEAST!" Kevin screams at the top of his lungs, his body mass intensifying as his hands begin to grow in size. "I'M LETTING YOU OUT OF YOUR CAGE!"  
"KEVIN, DON'T!" Casey shrieks, reaching out to him, only to watch Kevin's demeanour change from his own, to a much undiluted, much more malevolent stance, as if Kevin had grown in size. His eyes are darker, more focussed on the Overseer when Kevin's were focussed on Casey's safety, his teeth grinding viciously together.  
"Finally, released from my reformatory!" the Beast chants, grimly smirking at the Overseer. "You! You've threatened Kevin's safety, the safety of everyone that resides in his mind, and for that, you must die."  
The Beast leaps onto all four of his limbs, frolicking like an animal towards the Overseer before springing from the ground, landing behind his enemy, giving him a split opening to wrap his arms around the Overseer, an opening he exerts. With his arms wrapped around the Overseer, the Beast begins to squeeze with all his might, and with a tremendous wonderment, the Beast discerns that his actions are doing nothing to this strange man. Elbowing the Beast in the stomach and causing him to let go, the Overseer catches the upper hand, and with a full force punch, the Beast is hurled to the ground at such a force, the ground beneath him crumbles at the contact; the sight startling Casey, and the feeling literally stunning the Beast.  
"Stay down, I don't want to kill you," the Overseer implores, placing the Beast in cuffs before helping him off of the ground. "That's it, easy now, Crumb."  
"NO!" The Beast roars, headbutting the Overseer before breaking away from the chains, freeing his hands as he grabs onto the poncho and tosses him into a break wall. After charging at the stranger the Beast punches him full force in the chest, with each blow boring him through the brick, piece by piece, until the stranger flips the position, leaving him the aggressor and the Beast the engaged. With a single blow, the Beast is delivered through the wall and into the deserted depot on the other side, into the pitch darkness, with the Overseer following closely behind.

"Please, sir! Just leave him alone!" Casey appeals. "He doesn't want any trouble, he just wants to be left alone until he turns himself in! Trust me when I say he's telling the truth!"  
"He must be brought to justice, Miss Cooke! I will not allow him to hurt anybody else! I'm sorry, but your- friend is coming with me, even if I have to kill him, and I don't want to kill him, Miss Cooke! Trust me on that! But if I'm forced to, I will!"  
"NEVER!" The Beast screams, his voice echoing in the darkness before an industrial generator flings from the dark, with the Overseer only just managing to capture it in his grasp. However, the Overseer's victory is short-lived, as a second generator flys towards him, sending him crashing to the ground with each generator pinning each of his arms and his hood slung from his head, leaving him to the mercy of the rain.  
The Beast moves from the dark and back into view before springing in the air, landing on the Overseer's chest, causing the now exposed older man to cough up an abnormal amount of water, an almost toxic measure of water.  
"Aren't you an interesting specimen? So aged, yet, so powerful?" The Beast stares up towards the sky, chuckling in cognisance. "The rain is your weakness, isn't it? Just as the other alters are my own, you're slowly drowning, helpless without your strength. I should just let you die, but lucky for you, Kevin believes otherwise, and what Kevin says, goes."  
Using each arm the Beast tosses the generators aside before stepping off of the Overseer's chest, freeing him at least and allowing him to slip the hood of his poncho back over his head, blocking away the rain. That's when the Beast begins pacing back towards Casey, quickly transitioning from himself back to Kevin, with Casey meeting him halfway the moment she recognises the transition.

"Are you okay?!" Casey questions, looking back at the Overseer, who's finding himself to his feet. "Is he okay?!"  
"I'm fine, he should be too now that he has his hood back on, I'll explain that later if I get the chance."  
"You!" The Overseer calls out. "You could very well have killed me, why didn't you?!"  
"Because that's not who I am, Overseer, I'm not the murderer, the one you just fought with is, I'm just the man that has to deal with the consequences of the Beast's actions," Kevin sighs, finding himself back into a protective stance as the old man in the poncho finds himself closer.  
"I'm not going to try anything, not that I could now, I have to- catch my breath," the Overseer gasps, coughing up any remnants of water. "And please- if you see fit- call me David."  
A sudden band of blinding irradiating headlights appears from the darkness, the suddenness feeling as if the lights were there the entire time, watching, observing the fight like an audience. The racket of sirens follow the blinding light and accompanied by the sirens, the sound of dozens upon dozens of tracks, the noise immediately reminding Kevin of the trap and the token causing him to panic.  
"David, I need you to take Casey and get out of here, there are people coming, they could be police officers or the band of people that attacked me last night, either way, I need Casey far away from this scene," Kevin quickly explains, watching as people start walking in front of the light, weapons visible from the reflection of the light. "Please, David, I know I don't know you, but if you're willing to risk your life to fight someone like the Beast by yourself in order to simply put him to Justice, then I believe you deserve the slightest level of trust at the least. Please, just get her out of here, I'll distract them long enough for your escape to be successful."  
"Okay, I will," David agrees, softly but firmly grabbing onto Casey's shoulder. "Joseph, I'm going to need a pick up ASAP."  
"No, I have to stay with you! Please let me stay with you, I can tell them everything you've told me!" Casey pleads as David begins prying her away from the scene, only to suddenly pick her up entirely and begin running at an abnormally fast pace for an older man. "Wait! NO! KEVIN!"  
"Kevin Wendell Crumb! By order of Philadelphia Police Department, you are under arrest for the kidnapping, murder, mutilation and consumption of six young women! Do not move, or we will open fire!"  
"You mustn't worry, I will only do what you tell me to," Kevin sighs, slowly holding his arms out for the police to cuff him. "I guess it's time to turn myself in willingly."


	6. Incarceration

Kevin's eyes open to the sight of closed in walls, the smell of suffocating musk and the unholy music of clanging metal and the taunting of voices far away from where he stands. He feels disorientated, his body exhibits the characteristic of a boulder falling in the ocean and sinking to the very bottom, simply leaning up from his steel bed feels like he's run a marathon. He stares up at his hands then at his feet, noticing the cold sensation of the shackles that chain him to his bed, but he can't seem to find it in himself to blame the police for their precautions, that's if those who have them are, in fact, the police.  
"Kevin Wendell Crumb. You know they're calling you the Beast of Philadelphia now?" a voice says from the entrance of the room Kevin currently resides in; an African American man, middle-aged, wearing a fancy prison guard uniform. "Finding you has been quite the task, a difficult one indeed, it looked as if you were always a step ahead of us; by the time we discovered your whereabouts and actually got your location you were gone. Last night was our big break, we'd finally caught you, unfortunately, we weren't able to find the others that were with you, but we will, just as we found you."  
"No, I don't believe you will, on a much more- uncomfortable topic- uncomfortable for me; what did you- do to me?" Kevin asks, still unable to rise from his bed, only able to stare at the older officer,  _barely_.  
"Nothing you don't deserve, Crumb, you were charging at us, forcing myself and seven other officers to fire a barrage of bullets at you, but as Miss Casey Cooke's report stated, the bullets did nothing to stop you only slow you down. So, thinking fast, one of us threw a taser on the ground, in doing so, electrocuting the ground, therefore, electrocuting you, unfortunately for you and fortunately for us, you may be somewhat bulletproof, but you're not shockproof."

"Explains why my head throbs," Kevin groans, staring back at his shackles. "You don't need the shackles, I don't plan on trying to escape."  
"Shackles, an isolated cell with key card access, no windows, one ventilation system with titanium bars blocking any form of access, and you're going to limited to twenty minutes outside of your cell. All of this precaution just to ensure that you make it to your court case, that doesn't mean you can't get roughed up, but we've been ordered to keep you alive and as healthy as we can manage to keep you, orders from the Captain himself, in fact, those were the only orders given from the Warden while he's away, and while he's away, I'm in charge here. Feel free to enjoy your limited time in the sunlight, but mark my words, Crumb, and mark them well; the penitentiary has hired trained snipers all way from the USMC Force Reconnaissance and they will be focussed on you, Crumb, they have orders to open fire at even the slightest suspicion that the Beast is revealing himself."  
"Rough me up all you want, Sir, I'm not going to cause any trouble, I've caused enough trouble as it is," Kevin sighs. "Least you guys can do is not have me chained to the bed, the very least."  
"We shall see if you keep up to that statement, Crumb, we shall see indeed," the officer chuckles, slowly beginning to exit the room, only to stop suddenly. "You know, a part of me wants to see what the Beast is truly capable of, to see the physical limits of that particular 'alter'. You see, this place is full of murders, rapists, paedophiles, child molesters and just vicious individuals, people that most of us officers would love to see get torn apart, limb from limb, and you, being a kidnapper, a murderer and a cannibal, I have no doubt in my mind that your limited time in the courtyard will catch some pressing attention."  
Kevin remains hushed, only staring at the officer, trying to surmise how corrupt and unjust the officers must be in this place, and how dangerous the situation most probably is, so he does the only thing that protrudes in his mind; a small nod.  
"Just, don't let us down, Crumb, oh, and two other things; in about two hours you'll be given your twenty minutes, and welcome to the Eastern State Penitentiary."

* * *

For twelve hours Casey had waited for Kevin to return, for twelve hours she'd stayed up restlessly at Dunn Home Security, where David, as well as his son Joseph's last name, was uncomfortably revealed to her. It wasn't like they had a choice, with the police extensively searching for them, David and Joseph's store was the safest and securest place for them, a place where they wouldn't get exposed or worse of all investigated. The first hour was tense, with all three of them sitting in the dark, whispering to one another, hearing police car after car drive past, some of them stopping in front of the store like they were contemplating breaking in for legal purposes, at least that's how David had seen it. After the hour was over and the father and son were sure they were safe now, that's when the  _true_ waiting game began, no matter how hard she tried to accept it, she just couldn't affirm the fact that Kevin may have been apprehended by the police. Once again, Kevin had been taken away from her, every hour she waited, the feasibility was becoming more and more evident, and eventually, David had surrendered to his fatigue, fighting the Beast had taken most of his energy, after all, David is sixty-two-years-old and still managed to go toe to toe with Kevin's superhuman youth. Safe to say, David had impressed Casey, so she couldn't exactly hold it against him, hell, she couldn't hold it against him if she tried. Joseph, on the other hand, had stayed up with Casey for most of the night, comforting her the best he could, conversing about abnormally random topics, together they'd drank nearly six cups of coffee before he'd fallen to his own fatigue. The distraction helped bypass the time, even if the effect wasn't huge, it was still there, and Casey is grateful for Joseph's kindness and coffee, he even set up one of the computers in the store for her to use. Ultimately, she'd herself fallen to her exhaustion, her worry for Kevin appearing in her dreams, no, not her dreams, her nightmares.

Casey's eyes open to the sound of her vibrating phone, the sudden movement of her neck causes it to cramp, the side effect of sleeping with her head on a desk, but she perseveres, grabbing onto the phone before answering the call from her foster mother. It's early in the morning, normally when Casey is helping to get the kids ready for school, they mustn't have noticed she was gone until now and felt guilty about it.  
"Casey?! Where have you been?! We've contacted your friends to see if you were simply at there houses but we were told no, so Jeff and I have been worried sick! Where are you?! Are you okay?!" Isabelle questions in an almost blind panic, the familiar sound of Casey's foster siblings' questions blaring in the background, she's certainly worried them too.  
"Hey, Isabelle, I'm so sorry! I know I should have called sooner and let you guys know where I was, but things have just been crazy at school, I've been feeling really down lately and I just needed some time alone, then my phone died and ugh!"  
"Are you okay, sweetie? Do you need us to pick you up from where you are?" Her foster father, Jeff, suddenly asks, obviously standing beside Isabelle and the kids. "If you're not feeling well today, you can take time off school, we'll just call the school and let them know."  
"To answer both of your questions, I'm okay, just- I guess- a little hungover?" Casey says in an almost fake hungover voice, the cramp in her neck making her sound more believable overall. "I'm really sorry for worrying you guys, I feel really bad now."  
"What's important is you're okay, well, as okay as you're gonna' be, young lady," Jeff says before falling silent for a short moment. "There was something we wanted to talk to you about-"  
"It's about Kevin Crumb," Isabelle finishes, the sudden mention of Kevin's name causing Casey's head to snap back up, regardless of the cramp.  
"WHAT ABOUT- I mean, what about him? Did the police finally catch him?!" Casey questions, her breathing becoming heavy and her heart pounding in her chest.  _Please don't let this conversation go where I think it's going_ , she thinks.  
"We were going to wait until you back home before discussing this matter with you, but Kevin Crumb has been apprehended by the authorities," Jeff briefly reveals, his voice clear but abnormally wary, Casey has never heard her foster father's tone as serious as this. "The Penitentiary wants you to come in and confirm that they've apprehended the right person, that they have Kevin Wendell Crumb, the man they're calling the Beast of Philadelphia."  
"And they want you to come in today," Isabelle finishes, a small sigh following. "If you, Casey, feel comfortable enough."

* * *

After the two hours had passed, on the dot, Kevin's shackles were removed and he was escorted to the courtyard, however, his shackles were replaced by shotguns drawn behind him for the entire escort, if Kevin was, to be honest with the guards, he'd have prefered the shackles if he was given the choice. After walking for five minutes and passing dozens of guards, they'd reached the courtyard, and the moment they were in the very middle of the courtyard itself, the guards had simply walked away, leaving him out in the open. Worse of all, the other inmates were watching him the moment he entered the courtyard, now without the guards, they were slowly and carefully making their way towards him. The urge to let the Beast out was cleaving, but Kevin knows that if he lets the Beast out, notably now with all of these inmates around, they will unmistakably get gravely injured, not only that but Kevin doesn't feel like giving that bastard Warden the show he wants, Kevin just hopes it doesn't come to that. Spotting a relinquished spot in the sun and knowing that his time is limited, Kevin begins walking towards the locality, only to be intercepted by an inmate, a smaller guy, someone who doesn't look like he could hurt a soul, but Kevin remains vigilant nevertheless.  
"Kevin, right? Dude, you're the Beast of Philadelphia, you're the new inmate everyone's been talking about," the Inmate chuckles, enthusiasm in his tone. "To be honest with you, I thought you'd be bigger, taller, I mean, you're pretty fucking jacked! Dude, I want to warn you but I have to be quick about it, you've been set up big time, okay? These guys, they're gonna' wanna' try their luck against you, and the guards ain't gonna' do shit, they're gonna' watch until you let out whatever fucking thing you have caged inside you, okay? They just want an excuse to shoot you again, I heard the Warden say it himself, do whatever you can to defend yourself, even letting that thing out, otherwise, these guys may try their luck killing you."  
"I'm convicted of abduction, homicide, mutilation and cannibalism, I have no doubt in my mind that they'll try to kill me, but that doesn't matter."  
"Kevin! Dude, are you listening? I just said these guys are going to hurt you, maybe even kill you, and your reply is that doesn't matter?" The Inmate questions, quickly glancing back to see the other inmates slowly closing in on Kevin's position. "It's now or never, dude! Let that Beast out and fight these guys! Prove you're at the top of the food chain!"  
"Get out of there, now," Kevin growls, watching as the Inmate runs away in terror, leaving only the others, each of their steps closing more and more distance between them before one of them begins running towards him. "Casey. Casey, I-"


	7. The Litigation

"Are you sure you don't want us to come with you, Casey, if you feel more comfortable-"  
"Then we would be more than willing to come with you while you identify  _him_ ," Isabelle adds, finishing Jeffrey's offer, both of the foster parents looking more than concerned for Casey's well-being, which Casey adores to an extent far beyond simple description, but because of the current circumstance, because this is Kevin they are talking about, Casey needs privacy, away from prying ears at the very least. "If you want us to wait outside, we will, it's completely up to you, sweetie."  
"We're here for you no matter what, you know that," Jeffrey continues. "No matter what."  
"I know, guys, I appreciate you so much, more than what I can say really and usually I would accept your company, but in this current corner that I've been laid in, I have to do this alone, just me and- and that monster," Casey says, faking her anger towards Kevin as she swiftly walks up to the penitentiary reception desk. "Hello, I'm Casey Cooke, here for the identification of Kevin Wendell Crumb, you contacted my foster parents, Isabelle and Jeffrey Janice, their numbers should be under my name."  
"Casey Cooke, yes, here you are," the receptionist pauses, staring into her computer before leaning towards the button that opens the electronic door, with Casey preparing herself for the sound of that horrible buzz. "When you're ready, I will unlock the door."  
"Can you guys wait out here? I'm not sure how long I will be, but I want to be alone with him," Casey explains, suddenly feeling like she shouldn't have to explain herself, that she shouldn't have to ask for space, but at the same time, she can't blame Isabelle or Jeffrey for being cautious. Her only argument towards their caution is that they don't know Kevin the way she does; if only people knew the story of Kevin's past, or better yet, that Kevin has taken back control of the light. Nevertheless, those topics aren't exactly a topic to bring over up dinner, however frustrating the situation is. After taking a long and deep breath, Casey looks back at the receptionist, ready to face the probable horrors of the penitentiary. "I'm ready to go in."

The moment the door slides open, Casey impatient slips inside, meeting the small band of Guards she was informed would be patiently awaiting her.  
"Miss Cooke, correct?" One of the guards asks, receiving a nod from the hushed Casey. "Follow us, please."  
Without a second thought, Casey does exactly what she's told, following the guards through a lengthy corridor, the route is a fraction longer than she expected, but the reason comes clear enough; they're trying to totally bypass the courtyard and cell blocks. Casey has heard stories of the penitentiary, the convicts that reside within it, rapists, child molesters, paedophiles, mostly murderers and thieves; titles that don't fit Kevin Wendell Crumb at all, the Beast, yes, but not Kevin, not winsome, compassionate, protective Kevin. If they  _were_ heading into the cell blocks they would have surely arrived there by now, so Casey is surprised when she's let towards a different room entirely, the door guarded by two guards with shotguns, a similar model of shotgun she herself fired at the Beast, and a door locked electronically, only opened by a keycard. Unfortunately, none of those security measures will do shit if the Beast abruptly takes back control of the light, or a less plausible cause, Kevin himself decides to escape the penitentiary. The moment the guard's spot Casey, one of them picks out the key card and unlocks the door, allowing the guards escorting Casey to open the door for the young woman, watching her as she walks inside, her movements less hesitant than they expected. The large cell is difficult to miss, just as Kevin is difficult to miss, who lays on his bed, facing the opposite direction, still as death.  
"Kevin Wendell Crumb! You have a visitor!" The guard screams, causing Kevin's body to jolt in reaction, something that the guard happily chuckles at. "You remember this girl, right? The one that got away from you, I bet that really grinds your gears, doesn't it?"  
"If it's fine with you, I'd like to talk to this prick alone, a nice little conversation between me and him, all while he's trapped in a cage, unable to get me this time."  
"Oh, so you want to taunt him, do ya'?" The other guard questions. "I couldn't blame you if I wanted to, Miss Cooke, sure, take as much time as you require. If he tries anything you call us in ASAP and remember, there's a security camera in the corner that will record  _everything_  that happens, for legal purposes we  _can't_  have audio but-"  
"Wait! Miss Cooke?" The other guard says, catching Casey's attention while simultaneously making her nervous. "This is Kevin Wendell Crumb, correct? The Beast of Philadelphia? The DNA test confirmed it, but legally we have to have you confirm this as well."  
"Yes, that is correct, this is Kevin Wendell Crumb," Casey regrettably confirms before glancing back at the caged up Kevin, not required to say another word to the guards, who leave promptly, leaving her and Kevin alone,  _finally_. Now that the doors are closed, she can do the one thing she's been wanting to do since his disappearance.

"Kevin? Kevin, it's me, it's Casey, I've come to see you," she murmurs, getting absolutely no reply from the man she's been itching to speak to. "Kevin? You've never been this quiet on me before? Are you okay? Are you hurt? Did the guards hurt you? The prisoners? Kevin, talk to me, please."  
"You shouldn't have come here, Casey, I- I don't want you seeing me like this." His voice is brash, croaky and flat, as if he has a sore throat, unlike anything Casey has ever heard come out of his mouth. "Like a beast caged up entertainment, this place is a zoo, after all, the guards treat me and this entire place as such, taunting me and laughing at me every time they get the chance, offering me their scraps. Nothing I don't deserve."  
"Don't say that that's not true, you deserve better than all of this, they refuse to understand. Kevin, please look at me, I want to see your face while I speak to you."  
"You'll see me during my  _litigation_ , you'll just have to wait until then because I'm not moving. As for their lack of understanding, that doesn't matter, I'm still a killer, a monster, and I will be treated accordingly."  
"Kevin."  
"Yes, Casey?"  
"Look at me, please I want to see you, gazing at your bald head isn't stifling my want to see you, so just- please?"  
"I'm sorry, but I said no, I don't want you seeing me like this, especially after what happened."  
"What happened?! You need to tell me what happened to you, please, I need to know!" Casey says, raising her voice a little too loud for her liking, glancing back at the door to make sure the guards aren't listening in, thankfully they're not. "Kevin, please, tell me what happened."

Reluctantly, Kevin slowly rises from his bed, sitting at the edge, still facing away from her, only to stand up entirely, slowly but surely turning to face her. For Casey, the sight is difficult to process but difficult to look away; a bouquet of blue, purple and black bruises all over his face and neck, especially under his eyes, stained blood under his nose, lacerations that have been lightly bandaged. While his face is heavily damaged, his arms and knuckles are untouched, no bruising, no dried blood, nothing, he didn't fight back, even after enduring everything the inmates or maybe even the guards threw at him, he chose not to fight back. He outright refused, he knew if he fought back, the Beast would have clawed its way out to defend him, and if that happened, the Beast wouldn't have simply punished the inmates, he would have disfigured them.  
"A large gang of them beat me until I passed out,  _only_  then did the guards intervene, only then did they stop them from killing me or committing much, much worse, as far as I know, they only beat me-"  
"I'm going to ruin everyone that laid a hand on you, Kevin," Casey hisses, surprising Kevin with her ferocity. "They will pay, I will make them if I have to."  
"Casey, what happened to me is just an example of what happens  _every_ day in this place, plus much worse, so what I've endured is nothing out of the ordinary. It's safe to say this will the place I'll be spending the rest of my life in; in this cage, twenty minutes of sunlight a day, getting the shit kicked out of me during those twenty minutes. It's best if we just both accept it, okay? You have your entire life waiting for you, Casey, you shouldn't worry about me, this is how my story was going to end anyway because if they didn't end up arresting me, I would have turned myself in eventually."  
"I'm not just going to disregard you like your some common object, how could I do that to you?! How could you  _expect_ me to do that to you?! After everything  _you've_  gone through,  _I've_  gone through, and everything  _we've_ gone through, you seriously expect me to toss you aside and forget you exist?" Casey sighs, clenching her teeth in frustration. "You're seriously unbelievable, Kevin Wendell Crumb."

"Casey."  
"What?!" Casey censures.  
"My court case has been pushed for tomorrow, that's why they called you in to  _legally_  confirm my identification, considering you're the only one who survived the clutches of the Beast, you were the only one who could identify me. It's just- my case isn't going to last long, that's crystal clear, I have seven accounts of first-degree murder, mutilation and cannibalism, including two of your friends, but for legal reasons, they're going to want you to appear in court as a witness. When they ask you for a testimony, I want you to tell them  _everything_ , do NOT try to defend me, do NOT try to make excuses for me, just tell them the truth."  
"Kevin, I-"  
"Casey, promise me you will tell them the truth."  
"Please don't make me do that, I just won't do the testimony, no, I just won't show up to court."  
"Casey, please, promise me," Kevin begs, tears rolling down his beaten face. "Please."  
"Okay," Casey sighs deeply, tears welling in her own eyes as she turns away, heading towards the door. "I promise I will tell the truth."  
"One more thing, Casey," Kevin says softly and tranquilly, watching as she reluctantly turns back to face him. "While I was being battered, I cleared something in my head, something I never imagined would be attainable for me, and something I will probably never get the chance to tell you after my case is finished."  
"What is it?" Casey asks, reluctant to stare Kevin in the eyes in fear of tears.  
"I love you, Casey Cooke, perverse as it may seem for everyone else, but it is true, I very much love you, I've never experienced or felt such emotion before, but I have now and it's clear to see," Kevin pauses, more and more tears flowing from his eyes. "And that scares the fuck out of me because it's too late now, I've recognised my feelings far too late, because, after tomorrow, I'll never get to see you again."  
"You will," Casey says, stopping in front of the door. "I'll wait for you if I have to because I love you too."  
Before the tears take over, Casey rushes out of the room, crashing the door behind her in  _mostly_ fake frustration, leaving Kevin alone, who gradually steps back towards his bed, firmly and painstakingly laying back down onto his bed.

* * *

The following morning, Kevin appeared at his litigation, alongside a heavily depressed Casey, each of them wanting to abandon their positions, knowing what was about to happen, the tasks they were about to commit to, the finalised results of completing those tasks, all of it was about to be heartbreaking for both of them. Kevin pleaded guilty to his crimes, Casey described the events that took place at the Philadelphia Zoo, but that  _still_  didn't outfit them for the declaration of Kevin's sentence; three life sentences without parole. Following his sentence,  _almost_  everyone inside the court cheered and taunted Kevin, some of them asking the judge and jury to bring back the death penalty, almost  _begging_  them to bring it back. Casey just felt relieved that her foster parents were not a part of that group of taunters, rather, they remained silent alongside their foster daughter, comforting her the best they can while the commotion occurred. The judge had commented that he and the entire city will enjoy watching Kevin rot in a prison cell, which left the entire court in silence, particularly Kevin, who seemed to stare into nothingness, glancing at Casey but ensuring he didn't stare at her, avoiding unwanted attention; a difficult task considering the attention he  _already_ had focussed on him. The moment the commotion began, however, Kevin was escorted out of the courtroom by a mixed group of officers and guards, who conducted him directly out the front of the Philadelphia Municipal Court, where dozens upon dozens of reporters, journalists and anchors awaited for him, while unfortunately, Casey and her foster parents followed closely behind. Nothing could prepare each of them for what was about to go down.

"Kevin Wendell Crumb, you've been sentenced for THREE life sentences! Do you have any comments?!"  
"BURN IN HELL, CRUMB!"  
"Kevin! Why did you kill seven young girls before mutilating their bodies?! The people want to know!"  
"DEATH TO THE BEAST!"  
"Wendell Crumb! You've been called the Beast of Philadelphia! Any comments?!"  
"JUST KILL HIM ALREADY! HE'S A MONSTER!"  
"Are the Horde real?! Or just your serial killer alias?!"  
"YOU'RE NOTHING, WENDELL CRUMB!"  
"Why did you let Casey Cooke go?! What does "being pure" mean?!"  
"GIVE HIM TO THE PEOPLE!"  
"How do you compare yourself to Elijah Price?!"  
Before the anchors can ask any further questions, the cry of gunshots rage through the crowd, sending them into a frenzy, causing them to flee from the court while others try to break through the crowd in an attempt to get to Kevin. Casey, whose foster parents strive vigorously to seize her away from the scene, breaks away from their grip, rushing towards the officers and guards to seek out Kevin, just to see him, just to make sure that he's okay, but once he finds him, she's horrified by the sight. Kevin lays on the footpath in front of the Philadelphia Municipal Court, gushing blood from his chest while another bullet has pierced through his cheek without exiting the other side. He's dying, all while the officers and guards do nothing, simply watching him with smiles on their faces.  
"KEVIN!"


	8. Unleashed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know how old Kevin Wendell Crumb is... so I'm going to say he's 25 for this story... considering his father passed away in the year 2000... 19 years before the events of Glass... leaving Kevin at the age of 6 when his father passed away... that's just how I'm doing it! Plus... makes Kevin not too old for Casey ;)

The entire street is in chaos, the majority of the Philadelphia Municipal Court spectators flee in terror from the gunshots that come from the unknown, while the minority try to tear through the remnants of the police and security forces, all in an attempt to reach Kevin, who is  _now_ bleeding profusely on the sidewalk while the officers that are supposed to protect him watch in delight. The wound on Kevin's chest is severe while the injury on his cheek seems less so, but Casey wastes no time, breaking through the circle of officers that watch Kevin and placing her hand on Kevin's bullet wound with as much pressure as she can administer, teeth clenched in the process.  
"What the fuck are you doing, girly? He killed and mutilated your friends, yet you try to save him?!"  
"HE'S GOING TO DIE IF WE DO NOTHING!" Casey snaps, surprising the officers and causing a couple of them to step back. "HE- He can't serve his sentence if he's dead, so help me! You must help me! I will not let him die!"  
"Just let the Beast die, beauty, he deserves much worse than death, and if he goes to prison and serves those three life sentences, he will face worse than death, so just let him die! Trust us when we say-  
"It's for the best girl!"  
"NO! I WILL NOT LET KEVIN WENDELL CRUMB DIE!" Casey screams, applying even more pressure on the wound, all while Kevin's blue eyes stare at her in desperation. "LOOK AT ME, KEVIN! STAY WITH ME, JUST STAY WITH ME! I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU GO THAT EASY!"  
"Someone, get the girl off of Crumb, he's going to die anyway, you might as well minimise his chances of survival."

"NO! PLEASE!" Casey cries as two pairs of hands grab onto her, trying to pry her away, but she attempts to fight back, flaying her legs towards the officers, only for them to grab onto her limbs and drag her along the ground. It's only when Casey kicks one of the officers in the nose, that they begin to lash out violently at her, dragging her cruelly against the cement of the sidewalk before tossing her to the side, her temple viciously hitting the road and knocking her unconscious. Their assault on Casey is something Kevin witnesses, his eyes beaming at the unconscious body of Casey, propelling his heart into a state of racing, pumping blood and extreme levels of adrenaline through his entire body, radiating his body with ferocity, but not  _just_  rage, but something  _else_  entirely.  
"CASEY!" Isabelle shrieks out in horror, running towards her foster daughter in desperation, with her rage focussed on the officers that assaulted Casey. "HOW DARE YOU HURT OUR DAUGHTER! WHAT IN GOD'S NAME GIVES YOU THE FUCKING RIGHT TO HURT OUR DAUGHTER? Casey? Are you okay?"  
"I'm- I don't feel so good," Casey shutters, her vision blinking in and out of focus. "It's hard to see."  
"It's okay, my dear, we're going to get you out of here, all of us."  
"But- Kevin, is he okay?"  
"What? I don't know, Casey, I don't think so," Isabelle answers in confusion, staring back at where Kevin should lay, unable to find him. "I can't see him, he must be laying behind the officers, but don't worry about that at the moment, okay?"  
"WE COULD SUE YOUR ASSES, YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT! WE COULD SUE YOU, BUT THAT'S IF I DON'T  _KICK_  YOUR ASSES FIRST!" Jeffrey threatens, grinding in teeth together in anger, however, his threats are ceased when all of the officers unholster their handguns, not quite aiming their weapons towards the couple, but aiming it enough to stop them in their tracks.

"BACK OFF NOW OR WE OPEN FIRE! WE DON'T WANT  _ANY MORE_ BLOOD ON OUR HANDS!"  
"Okay, okay, we're backing off," Jeffrey says, following their ominous orders and holding his arms up in his air in guard, his body shielding Isabelle and Casey as he moves in front of them. "Don't do anything dramatic, please, I just want to get my girls out of this mess, you can have Crumb, I don't care about that."  
"YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT YOU DON'T!" One of the officer's grumbles, breathing heavily as he holsters his weapon, followed by the rest of his fellow officers. "Now, get your girls out of here, before we change our mind and arrest your daughter!"  
"We're going! We're going!" Isabelle agrees.  
"No- we need to save Kevin- we need to- save Kevin."  
"No, we need to get you to a hospital, Casey," Jeffrey argues, picking up Casey and holding her in his arms like she ways nothing,  _almost_. "God, I'm too middle-aged for this shit. C'mon, let's get outta' here."  
"Now! Where were we- ugh, guys?! Where is-"  
"Where's Crumb?! Where did he go?!" One of the Officers yells, unholstering his weapon once more. "Where the fuck is he?! He was dying ten seconds ago?!"  
"Officer Davis to Command, we've lost Crumb, he was shot the moment he exited the Municipal Court, shot in the chest, bleeding out, we tried to stop the bleeding but we were interposed by civilians, once we dealt with the civilians we re-attended to Crumb, but he's gone! THE BASTARD IS GONE!"  
"Where in the fuck is he?!"

Without warning, a nearby car is crushed with the doors flying off the hinges, all under the weight of heavy falling debris, yet, what crushes the car isn't debris at all, no, instead, a man, well,  _almost_ a man. Kevin, in the form of the Beast, stands on top of the crushed vehicle, his shoes off and his shirt torn by his grown muscle mass, muscle mass that is much, much bigger than the Beast's 'normal' form, and less distinctly, the Beast's eyes appear to be in a tinge of red, brought upon by the volume of blood that has been pushed into his eyes' proximity. Tearing off his blood-soaked shirt, the Beast reveals to the officers, Casey and her foster parents, that his wounds are miraculously healing at an accelerated rate, restoring completely within a few seconds, leaving only a slight scar next to the larger ones left by Casey; the wound on his face, however, restores without leaving any scar tissue, instead, pissing the Beast off further than he already is. The Beast's breathing alone is out of this world, appearing more animal than man, the sheer force of his exhale feeling like slight wind, and the mere sight of him sending  _almost_ everyone present into a furore of fear,  _almost_ everyone.  
"K- Kevin Wendell Crumb," one the officer's shutters, slowly unholstering her weapon alongside her fellow officers. "You're coming with us, step away from the vehicle."  
"I will not allow Kevin or us to die, and that- is EXACTLY WHAT YOU WERE  _ALL_  GOING TO DO! YOU WERE GOING TO LET HIM DIE! YOU WERE GOING TO LET US DIE!" The Beast roars, leaping off of the vehicle and walking towards the officers. "Not  _only_  were you going to let Kevin die, but you hurt Kevin's feelings, you hurt Casey Cooke, threatened her well-being, her life, and that is something Kevin will  _never_ forgive."  
"Casey, what is he talking about?" Jeffrey asks, reaching the other side of the street with Isabelle, who is equally as confused as her husband. "What is he talking about?!"  
"Why is whoever or whatever that thing is trying to protect you?" Isabelle questions further, watching the event unfold.  
"There's- there's a reason the Beast let me go, there's a reason he killed Claire, Marcia and the other girls, but not me, it's because of what happened to me- when I was a child, that made me 'pure'; all because I knew what it was like to suffer, as  _he_ , as Kevin suffered," Casey responds weakly, her eyes barely able to focus on the Beast. "Kevin and the Beast, the- they aren't the same people, Kevin isn't the murderer or the accomplice, he's just the- poor bastard that has to deal with the consequences. It's the Beast that's the murderer, while- some others are accomplices to the murders, I- I swear on my status- as your daughter. I swear on the kids' lives, Kevin is an innocent man- he's only ever wanted to defend himself and the innocents that reside in his mind- and he's already died because of it."  
"Why, Casey? Why do you choose to defend him?" Jeffrey questions, heading towards the corner of the street block, walking backwards. "Regardless of whether or not it was the monstrous personality, I'm currently watching, Kevin Wendell Crumb's physical body killed those girls, so lawfully, he is guilty of those crimes, yet, you defend him. Why do you continue to defend him?"  
"Because, Jeff, Casey is in love with him," Isabelle gasps, stopping Jeffrey from walking any further. "And if he- if  _Kevin_  is in love with her too, then she may be the only person capable of calming him down, of stopping whatever this part of Kevin is before his rage is turned onto the officers, or worse, innocent people."

"Easy now, Crumb, we don't want to shoot you."  
"NO! YOU DON'T WANT TO SHOOT KEVIN! YOU DON'T WANT TO SHOOT US! BUT YOU'LL LET OTHERS DO IT FOR YOU! BUT NOW THAT  _I_  AM PRESENT, I WILL NEVER LET ANYONE HURT KEVIN OR US AGAIN! EVEN IF THAT MEANS KILLING ALL OF YOU!"  
Another gunshot erupts through the district of the city, hitting the Beast three more times in the chest once more, only managing to knock the Beast slightly off balance and in doing so, showing the Beast the direction of which the bullet came from. Now, the cowardly shooter has, unfortunately, become the Beast's prey, now  _nothing_  will stop the Beast from finding the shooter, not the officers, not the streets and rooftops he will surmount to find the shooter. The Beast's confidence tells him if he outruns Casey, not even she will have the capability of stopping him, not that she could in her current state, but it's always great to be careful, even for someone like the Beast.  
"REJOICE! ALL OF YOU! REJOICE WITH ME! AS I HAVE FOUND THE SHOOTER! DO NOT FEAR AS I WILL DEAL WITH THE COWARD HOW COWARDS SHOULD ALWAYS BE DEALT WITH! WITH JUSTICE!" The Beast says, cackling in a dark, animalistic tone as he turns away, his back facing the Officers. "IT WILL BE ALL OVER IN A SINGLE MOMENT! IN A SINGLE BREATH! ALL OF YOU WILL BE SAFE!"  
"Don't you walk away from us! You're under arrest, you fuck!" One of the officer's screams, shooting the Beast in the back in an attempt to stop him, watching as the bullet impacts the Beast's impenetrable flesh, simply to slide off and onto the ground. That's when the Beast turns back around, his red-tinged eyes staring at the officers with pure, animalistic rage. "Oh, fuck."

The Beast growls at the officers before he begins to slowly approach them, his monstrous hands clasping to a monstrous fist, his knuckles cracking as the vicious pressure. The threatening sight forces the officers into unloading their weapons upon the Beast, each bullet hardly leaving a mark on the malevolent being, with each step forward making their efforts appear more and more ineffectual. Gripping onto the arm of two officers, the Beast effortlessly tosses each Officer into the wall of the Court, leaving a vicious indentation from the impact, when other officers attempt to intervene, they're crushed by the force of the Beast's rage. With each swing, stroke, blow and strike knocking an officer to the cemented floor, only for the final officer to be fiercely thrown through the windshield of a nearby vehicle, each of the bodies not moving, but luckily for them, they're far from dead, however, when the officers awaken from their encounter with the Beast, they're going to wish they were dead.  
"Kevin," Casey sighs, watching as the Beast's eyes instantly reap onto her. "Please- just- come back to me."  
"In order to protect Kevin, to protect all of us, action must be taken, and Kevin is not ready to take that action, so he has given that role to someone who will," the Beast asserts, his voice actually sounding reasonable, melodious, charismatic, and frightened, an unusual perspective of the Beast, but Casey can't help but find herself understanding it; this aspect of the Beast is more  _Kevin_  than the Beast himself, Kevin's way of taking the light, without actually taking the light. "Kevin apologizes for you, Casey, he apologizes for what he's about to do, for what he's about to  _allow_ me to do, for what he  _must_ do. He loves you very much, Casey, but this time, he will allow me to do what must be done to protect not just him, not just the others, or me for that matter, but everyone around him."  
Another gunshot is discharged, this time barely missing Casey and her foster father, the display causing the Beast to roar in tormenting wrath, only for the Beast to rush down the street at full speed, frolicking on all fours away from the scene, following the direction the gunshot came from; ultimately, out for blood.


	9. Combative Engagement

Growling and howling, the Beast storms through the streets of Philadelphia on all fours, leaping onto the roofs of oncoming traffic, the force of each leap denting the steel roofs of each vehicle, ultimately causing a turbulent traffic jam. Storming at high speed on all fours, it's difficult not to witness his extempore appearance, with the mere sight of him sending the passed civilians scrambling for security, with some people stopping to film the strange encounter, another beastly howl causes the remnants of the crowd to join the clamber for safety and protection. As he continues his journey further through the streets, he locates police helicopters flying in the distance, no doubt searching for him, either him or the shooter's he himself is hunting like the cowardly prey they are, the Beast's hopes stand with the later. The Beast leaps onto a nearby parked car and stands up straight, leaving himself out in the open, vulnerable, exposed, and hoping the shooter will take quite literally another shot at killing him. The enthusiasm from the tension begins to take over, causing the Beast to maniacally shriek and slam his fists against his chest. He begins screaming at the top of his lungs, egging on the chaos around him, only to be silenced by the sudden impact of a bullet to the same weakened cheek, violently knocking him from the roof of the vehicle, slamming him to the ground at such force, the cemented ground crumbles under his weight. After a long and processive moment, the Beast slowly rises from the broken rubbled cement, groaning in discomfort with his hands caressing the large revived but re-regenerating wound on his cheek, only to spit out the extra large bullet that entered his mouth onto the ground. Regardless of the extreme physical strain, he'd suffered by the impact of a fourth bullet, the Beast focuses on the direction the bullet came from once more, feeling himself recover within a few extra seconds, the endured discomfort now replaced with unrivalled rage.  
"YOU FOOL! I CANNOT DIE! BUT YOU CAN!" The Beast roars, chuckling as he wipes the blood from his cheek. "I'm coming for you."

* * *

"Casey! Listen to us, please! You're still hurt, you may have a concussion and if that's the case you'll need some medical attention," Jeffrey advises, calling out a furiously fixed Casey, who speed walks towards a group of gathering police officers, her mind focussing on the police officers' distant statements rather than her foster parents. She knows what she wants to do, no, what she  _needs_ to do, and she won't let anybody or anything get in the way of that, as much as she loves them, not even they will stop her. "CASEY!"  
"WHAT! None of you understands what that man means to me, how much the thought, the idea of him getting hurt out there, or worse, killed, hurts me inside! I love you to the bottom of my heart, but guys, you don't have a fucking clue what Kevin means to me, what we've gone through together. So many transitions; the first time I ever met him, the  _real_ him, in order to protect me from that  _thing_ that currently has control of his body, he told me to kill him. Our  _very_ first interaction, he made me promise to kill him, all so he could protect me, a fucking stranger, from the bloody, cannibalistic hands of that creature, but everyone continues to see  _him_  as a monster, nobody knows him the way I know him. So, yes, I'm going to get out there, track him down and make sure he doesn't kill fucking killed out there. You can either get in the car and follow me, or I'll see you at home after all this is over and we'll argue then, the choice is yours."  
"Casey!" Isabelle screams as Casey turns away from them, causing her to reluctantly halt in place. "Please, be safe, you're our daughter, we love you and we want you safe and home as soon as you can be."  
"I will be, Mom and Dad, I promise, thank you for letting me do this. I'll be home as soon as I can be, just as you said."

Jeffrey and Isabelle watch as Casey runs towards the police officers, who are now splitting into different groups, entering various police vehicles in a rush, some driving away straight away, while others seem to be awaiting further instructions. Casey calls out to one of the police cars, waving her arms to ensure she's noticed by the police officers, seemingly exhilarated to be noticed by one of the officers, who rolls down the window.  
"Can I help you, M- Wait, you're Casey Cooke?! What are you doing here Miss Cooke?! You should get off the streets, all civilians are being ordered to evacuate the streets and seek shelter immediately, that Beast bastard is out there, just seriously injured a heap of our fellow Officers, that means you too."  
"Just hear me out first! I know the direction the Beast went and if you give me a chance to look, I'll be able to find, I'm always able to find him. I can lead you to him, just only if you promise you're not going to hurt him."  
"We'll do what we must to put him back in cuffs, but right now what you can do for us is point us in the right direction and seek shelter, we have our orders and so do you."  
"Get out of here while you still can, Miss, only God knows how many people that thing is going to hurt, we don't need  _any_  more blood on our consciences."  
"No, I'm coming with you, I know how to track him down, and I know how to stop him," Casey hisses, noticing that the officers are about to interrupt her once more. "Just fucking listen to me, okay?! I can you lead you to him and I'm the one and  _only_ chance you have at stopping him without needing to kill him. Trust the woman who shot him twice point blank with a shotgun and just witnessed him spit out a bullet from a sniper, he doesn't die, but he doesn't have to. Please, give me a chance, that's all I ask."  
"Hm, alright, you've caught our attention, get in the car and guide us to him, but when shit goes down and it probably will, you have to stay out our way. Is that clear, Miss Cooke?"  
"Yes, yes, yes! Thank you, thank you!" Casey says eagerly, opening the car door and swiftly sliding into the only spare seat before buckling her seatbelt. "Let's go, he's headed that way!"

"So, are we heading home or are we going to follow her?" Jeffrey asks, glancing at Isabelle with troubled eyes. "We're going to follow her, aren't we?"  
"You're damn right we're going to follow her, not only are we going to follow her, but we're going to do whatever we can to help Kevin."  
"Why in the world would we ever do that?" Jeffrey questions, raising an eyebrow. "After everything, he's done?"  
"Because,  _our_ daughter is in love with him, and what type of parents would we be if didn't do everything we could to help the man our daughter loves? I don't know about you, Jeff, but I do believe everything she's told us about him, it's sad to say that most people would believe it's simply  _Stockholm_   _Syndrome_ , but not me, I couldn't believe that if I wanted to. After everything our dear Casey has gone through, her mind remains to be strong, firm and assertive, she knows what she wants, what she needs and who she loves," Isabelle explains, glancing back at her husband. "Do you have the keys?"  
"Yeah, I got them, what's our course of action, I mean, we should have a plan, right?"  
"We'll head to the car and follow them as close as we possibly can, where they go, we go, where they stop, we stop too, and if it comes to it, hopefully, it doesn't, but it does, we'll use the gun in the car to protect ourselves, the police officers, Casey and even Kevin. Clear?"  
"Crystal clear."  
"Let's go then, we have no time to waste," Isabelle says, leading her husband towards the car, both of them running as fast as they can. "No time to waste at all."

* * *

The Beast enters a one-way alley-way at high speed, charging towards the wall before leaping an incredible leap, scaling a third of the wall before impact, his hands and feet easily seizing onto his wall, allowing him to swiftly ascend up the wall while bystanders watch, some still filming his activities. Reaching the top of the wall, the Beast yanks himself upwards, boosting himself onto the rooftop where he continues his charge, using his speed and agility to spring from rooftop to rooftop. Each spring finds himself closer and closer to his prey, and within a couple of minutes of running on all fours, he begins to notice figures in black on a distant rooftop, five figures to be exact, and they way they stand still indicates something that puts a smile on the Beast's face; they can see him too.  
"Finally, justice is to be served accordingly. I AM COMING FOR YOU!"  
Roaring at the top of his lungs, the Beast storms ahead, with each jump covering more and more ground, the very sight causing the strangers to fire rifles towards him, with most, if not all bullets managing to mark him, indicating some dangerous accuracy. The closer he gets to them, the more desperate they're seeming to become, but their fear only goes so far, with the strangers retaining their near-perfect accuracy regardless, the bullets nipping at his chest, stomach and even his face. In a swift motion, the Beast tears an air conditioning unit and throws it towards the strangers, causing them to desperately scatter for safety, giving the Beast the opening he needed to attack. Charging and leaping one last time, the Beast prepares himself for the destruction of these cowards, which he should do without breaking a sweat.

Reshaping the roof with his landing, the Beast wastes no time with his attacks, clutching onto the throat of one of the strangers before violently throwing him across the rooftop and into another air conditioning unit, a sickening crunch following the contact. Unholstering a handgun the next stranger fires into the Beast's chest, causing one of the bullets to ricochet and backfire, striking the stranger in the head and killing him instantly, allowing the Beast to toss the body aside and move onto the next targets. Before the next targets can reach the firearms scattered across the rooftop, the Beast takes action once more, slamming one of the strangers head into the ground, knocking her unconscious if not giving her serious brain damage. The Beast then seizes and hurls the fourth stranger off of the rooftop, watching as a fire escape luckily catches the stranger, however, the force knocks him motionless, leaving only the Beast and the fifth and final, who is much larger; taller, built like a powerhouse and visibly wearing less physical protection in comparison to the others. Besides the stranger lays an enormous M107 Barrett .50 Caliber Sniper Rifle and a much smaller suppressed Subsonic .308 Sniper Rifle; the first weapon is the source of his horrific bruising while the second, the weapon that made an attempt on his life the moment he stepped from the Court.  
"So you're the legendary Beast I've heard so much about, huh? I thought you'd be bigger, but you're definitely the one I've been looking for you," the stranger chuckles, slowly pulling a large knife from a holster on his belt. "You were a hard man to find, Kevin, you know that? You should be proud of that, you masked yourself quite well and you capped your tracks even better than you masking, at least that was until you were simple-minded enough to turn yourself into the police willingly, ever since your turning we've been watching you, waiting for the correct time to eliminate you permanently. You're a bundle of things, Crumb, and  _tenacious_  is most definitely one of those things, I finally got the drop on you, shooting you in the chest and in the god damned face, yet you abruptly reveal an ability that wasn't in your profile; regenerative healing? I knew you were tough, Crumb, but I was unaware you were this tough, I've killed beings like yourself and David Dunn most of my life, don't take this personally, it's just business."  
"You tried to kill Kevin? You tried to kill the others?! YOU TRIED TO KILL ME?!" The Beast growls, the veins on his body pulsating violently. "I'm going to kill you and slowly."  
"No, I don't believe you are, I'd tell you my name, but there's no point, you're about to die."

The Beast launches himself towards the stranger, hurling a punch at high speed, watching as the stranger hastily catches the vicious punch, holding his shaking fist in place.  
"You're not the apex predator, Crumb, I am," the stranger laughs, hurling the Beast's own fist into his face, only to hurl his own fist into the jaw of the Beast, the force causing the Beast to become dazed. For the Beast, each punch feels like he's being hit by two Overseers, which could be to due to a variety of factors, considerably, the age of his opponent, the Overseer is an older man, while the stranger appears to be in peak physical condition. As the Beast abruptly discovered, peak physical condition is only an advantage if a strategy is implemented alongside it. A kick to the Beast's waist causes him to sling backwards, allowing the stranger to grab onto the .50 Caliber Sniper Rifle and fire into his stomach, knocking the Beast face first into the ground, leaving an indentation on the rooftop. As the stranger slowly paces towards his target, the Beast rises from the indented ground of the rooftop, his eyes staring at the blackened bruising that gradually heals overtime, only to be caught by the grasp on the stranger, his attacker smirking mockingly at him. "You can't beat me, Crumb, not the way you fight, I match your agility, your endurance, your strength and your durability to an extent, as for my intelligence and overall knowledge in combative strategies, we've only scratched the surface."  
"I think we've spent more than enough time on this rooftop, don't you think? That and the rifle takes too long to load, you'll sure get the drop on me, so, I'll see you down there, Crumb!"

Without warning, the stranger forces the Beast off of the rooftop, observing and harkening the vicious impact the Beast endures, but regardless of the collision, the Beast finds himself out of his dazed state, focussing back onto the fight; now he knows he can't underestimate his opponent, that feral, brute strength can't be the one and only strategy he implements. It's time to turn the tide of the fight, it's either that, or he'll perish at the hands of this stranger. The Beast stares around his surroundings, examining every aspect of the alley, everything we can use as a weapon, everything he can take cover behind, every way he can outsmart his opponent, everything that could possibly give him an edge, even if it's slight. That's when the stranger calls out to him."  
"You look lonely down there! Don't worry, I'll be right with you!" The stranger beckons before leaping off of the rooftop and landing into the alley, joining the Beast with a grin on his face. "Much better, right?"  
"You talk too much," the Beast growls, breathing heavily as he tenses up.  
"Oh, do I now? Allow me to get straight to business then."  
The stranger hurls a duo of fists at high speed, executing a double punch, only to have each fist caught and gripped tightly, allowing the Beast to throw the stranger over his shoulders and speeding into one of the solid brick walls, causing a large chunk to tear off. The stranger groans in ache before chuckling in amusement, re-winding his neck and causing it to crack in relief as he slowly finds himself to his feet, that grin still glued to his face.  
"That actually hurt, as much as I wanted to lie about that being pleasant, it wasn't, you're the first person in years to make me feel any form of injury. Of course, I've never had the luxury of being shot by one of those bullets I've shot you three times with, fuck me, three times now? You must be getting quite sick of it by now, though, I have no doubt if you can handle it, I could handle it, you see, normal bullets won't work on me, not in a traditional sense. I may not be as bulletproof to an extent that bullets bounce off of me like you, Crumb, but I'm tolerably bulletproof, when the police inevitably arrive, you'll see that soon enough. Now that I'm slowly finding back on track and out of a bewildered state, I have present for you," the stranger says, slowly revealing a small sphere-shaped grenade from his vest.  
"That pathetic grenade won't take me down."  
"No, it's not meant to kill you, in fact, I would never give it the chance of taking that satisfaction from me, no, this is meant for a much greater and more entertaining purpose; slowing you down," the stranger chuckles, watching as the Beast's eyes become shallow as he flicks the pin from the grenade. "Beware of the light."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it guys... the next chapter will be the finale... focussing on three major events... so stay tuned... enjoy this chapter... and prepare for the end.


	10. The Leak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, guys… change of plans… I know I said this one was the last Chapter… but I feel like I've got one more in me… plus I really wanted to stretch the content out for you guys! I'm studying to become a Veterinary Nurse… so I've been super busy but really trying my hardest with this… so for you guys… here's the next Chapter! Please enjoy! 2nd last one!

"Beware of the light."  
Mere moments before the flash grenade explodes, the Beast succeeds in covering his eyes and turning around, leaving him exposed as his back faces his foe, the very thing the Stranger aspires. While remaining vulnerable, the Stranger pulls out his last grenade, a sticky high explosive anti-tank grenade, before detonating it and throwing it towards the Beast, watching nervously as the Beast turns at the last moment. Rather than evading it, however, the Beast catches the grenades where it remains stuck to his hand. After noticing that the grenade is, in fact, stuck to his hand, the Beast enters a frenzy, leaping towards the Stranger, watching as all colour drains from the Stranger's face, however, before the Beast can fully reach the Stranger, the explosive goes off. The force of the explosive sends each being darting in different directions, the Beast slamming viciously into one of the brick walls, the force and velocity causing him to become indented into the wall, while the Stranger is propelled into a garage door, he himself causing a large dent into the metal before jostling onto the ground. While the Beast remains still, body smoking from the endured explosion, the Stranger slowly but surely finds himself to his feet, taking his time as he stretches his shoulders and arms, only to then crack his jaw and knuckles.

"You stupid, crazy son of a bitch! A ruthless tactic, Crumb, a tactic you almost killed me with," the Stranger groans, staring at the Beast's stationary body. "Didn't die on me already did you, Crumb? Crumb?!" That's when the Beast abruptly and unsteadily breathes out, sounding as if the impact had winded him. "You're still kicking, good, you're not allowed to die on me yet. I'm far from done with you."  
"And you're running out of trinkets to fight me with," the Beast snarls as he tears himself for the indentation of the wall, the noises leaving his mouth mirroring the vocalizations of a wolf. As the Stranger begins walking towards the Beast, the vocalisations become more vicious, more threatening, but the Stranger doesn't back down.  
"As you should be aware, I don't need my "trinkets" as you call them, they're only a means of further entertainment, besides!" the Stranger growls, kicking the Beast further into the indentation of the wall. "I'll have much more fun killing you with my bare hands!"  
"I'd hate to ruin your fun, but," a familiar voice calls from the hazy opening of the alley. As a figure walks into the light, David, the Overseer, wearing his newly restored dark blue poncho, is revealed, his face much easier to see in the day; it appears fighting in the day isn't something he's not used to. "Leave Kevin Wendell Crumb alone."

"David Dunn, the Overseer, in the flesh, our long-awaited encounter has finally come, and I must say, the wait was worth it," the Stranger chuckles, kicking himself off of the Beast before slowly wandering towards David. "I was in my early teens when you began patrolling the streets of Philadelphia, in fact, you put one of my friends, no, my best friend in a coma, a coma he barely awoke from. It was around that time I began developing my own abilities, my own strengths and weaknesses, like a superhero, like what all the people around me were calling you, see, since that revelation I despised being like you; being  _unnatural_. All of what I am was caused by high levels of stress, almost losing your best friend will do that to you, so I should really be thanking  _you_ , David Dunn. Following my ascension to Superhuman classification, that's when my activities began to become easier and easier each damn time, but once I began to embrace my  _true_ self, my true  _potential_ , I began planning this moment, the moment I get to break the unbreakable. You see, I've worked a lot of jobs, persisted in a lot of struggles, and all of those conflicts, the death, the uncountable volume of kills under my belt, it's all been a path leading to this moment, only this time, I get to kill you  _and_  Crumb."  
"Look, I'm sorry about your friend, in my early patrols I didn't know the extent of my strength and in my patrols, I seriously injured criminals, but punishing people to that extent was never my intention. I regret every serious injury and I've learned my limitations now, how far I can and will only go, you can do you same, you don't have to go through with this."  
"That's where you're wrong, David Dunn, I have to do this, orders are orders you know how it is, my employers The Black Clover requires the end of your lives, so I'm going to deliver. Think of me, as your Angel of Death, and to add insult to death, once I'm finished here, Miss Casey and little Joseph will be the next people I visit."

Chuckling recklessly at his threats, the Stranger watches as David charges towards him, preparing himself for the counter-attack, however, the Beast suddenly clasps his head into a headlock, however weak it may be, it allows David an agile and secure attack. David hits the Stranger at full force in the face, the force that would easily have knocked him into the cement, the same way he did with the Beast, but with the Beast holding the Stranger in place, it allows him to launch another punch, then another and another.  
"Okay then," The Stranger grunts, blood drooling from his mouth as his teeth clench viciously together. "If that's how you wanna' play, then let's play."  
The Stranger spits blood in David's face before kicking off of his chest at tremendous force, forcing the Beast to fall back into the brick wall, but when the Beast doesn't let go of his neck, the Stranger thinks fast, clutching onto the Beast's arms before hitting his nose with the back of his head, causing the Beast to finally let go. Moving like a blur, the Stranger turns, grabs onto the Beast's head and slams it into the wall before gripping onto his neck, as David attempts to attack once more, the Stranger uses his one free arm to counter and follow with an attack, gripping onto David's neck also.  
"I may not be able to break your neck, Dunn, but I can still fucking strangle you to death."  
"Not with both of us in the fight," David groans, struggling to breathe and fight off the Stranger's relentless grip.  
"Well then, allow me to get rid of that obstacle."  
The Stranger kicks David with a high powered boot to the stomach, allowing him time to focus on the still dazed, smouldering Beast, his free hand joining the one that remains clasped onto the Beast's throat. Without warning, the Stranger lifts the Beast from the ground and swings wildly, shattering the Beast through the air and corners of the brick wall only to then hurl the Beast onto the rooftop, felicitously watching the Beast's hard impact against an air conditioning unit.

"Seems that explosive really did the trick on Crumb, before you arrived and that anti-tank grenade went off, he was giving me quite the fight, now he's so dazed he can barely stand up straight. Now he's out of the fight, that only leaves us to continue it, are you ready for me to take your life, David Dunn?"  
"You're going to have to fight the hardest you ever have in your life to take mine."  
"Oh, don't you worry about that, Dunn, I'm more than prepared for such a task."  
The Stranger charges and springs towards David before slamming each closed fist in the top of his head, knocking him downwards, in a vulnerable position. Gripping onto his poncho, the Stranger hurls David through the windshield of a nearby parked car, the impetus of the impact causing every window to combust, the spectacle making the Stranger clap and chuckle at the top of his lungs.  
"I'll be right with you, Dunn! I just," The Stranger pauses, thoroughly examining his surroundings before stomping his boot against the cemented ground at extraordinary force, then again and again until he forms a huge pothole, deep enough to fit a human head inside. "Gotta' prepare for the grand finale."  
Seizing onto David's legs, the Stranger slowly drags him out of the car before tossing him back onto the ground. David speedily rises from the ground and launches another punch, hitting the Stranger but with no influence, only causing the Stranger to laugh maniacally before he kicks him into a nearby fire hydrant, the impact causing the hydrant to bend and leak water. The feeling of the leaking water at the hood of his poncho causes David to panic and crawl away from the hydrant, but the Stranger intervenes, clutching onto the scruff of the poncho.  
"Where do you think you're going?! I told you, Dunn, I'm more than prepared for taking your life, and this part of the task," the Stranger pauses, holding David in front of the hydrant as he raises his free hand into a knife-hand strike position. "Is going to be the fun part."

The force of his knife-hand strike cuts through the fire hydrant and frees the water inside, causing the water to gush out into David's face, flooding his hood with water. The moment the water stops flowing from the hydrant, the Stranger takes another initiative, dragging the now stifling David towards the now filled pothole, and as much as David tries to fight him off, the water has made his efforts futile.  
"It's almost over, Dunn, after what comes next you won't have to fight anymore, I'll try to make the end as quick as possible. If it means anything to you, you fought valiantly, both of you have, but you can't escape from your weaknesses, the light will destroy Crumb, while the water is about to destroy to you. Goodbye, David Dunn."  
"HEY! FREEZE!"  
"DON'T YOU MOVE A FUCKING MUSCLE!"  
"WHERE IS CRUMB?!"  
"WHO ARE YOU?!"  
"PUT YOUR HANDS UP WHERE WE CAN SEE THEM!"  
"You have to be fucking kidding me."  
A dozen Officers scream orders as they enter the alley-way, all of them moderately armoured and armed with rifles, shotguns and handguns, circling the Stranger and David, who slips on his hood to conceal his identity. The Stranger gazes angrily at the Officers, observing their weapons and weak points as he lifts David and tosses him aside.  
"I'll deal with you in a moment."

Kevin's ocean blue eyes slowly peek open as he attains himself back to consciousness, groaning and cursing as he struggles to lift himself away from the air-conditioner unit indentation he lays in. His body fiercely aches, feeling as if he's been hit by a tank, or more realistically, the explosive that is utilised to destroy tanks. He rubs his eyes in discomfort, realising his vision is extremely blurred, only able to see blurred shapes, but quickly recovering, his eyes rushing to find themselves back into focus. Kevin feels around for the edge of the rooftop and after grabbing onto it, he manages to drag himself from the indentation, listening into the tension executing below. That's when his vision slowly but finally comes back, and he sees the entire scene. The police have arrived at the scene, surrounding the Stranger with their weapons trained directly at him, David struggles to stand, stained in mud and chunks of cement, seeming as if he's coughing up water, explains why there are a burst hydrant and water all over the alley-way. Centring back on the Stranger, there's a patch of small bruises and abrasions all over his body, revealing that he's durability only goes so far, just as he said. Kevin's eyes proceed to sway around the scene, but the unexpected emergence of Casey at the entrance of the alley catches his attention.  
"Casey?! What the fuck are you doing here?!" Kevin susurrates, his heart pounding in his chest, sweat trickling his brow. "No, this isn't happening, this cannot be happening. She is not  _here_  right now, why the fuck would she be here right now?! I have to do something, I- I have to do something and fast."

"YOU MOVE AND WE'LL OPEN FIRE! DON'T TEST US!"  
"None of you has the balls to use those weapons, not that those weapons create any form of a pressing threat or any threat at all for that matter, you see," the Stranger pauses as he sighs, glaring back at the still hacking David. "The Overseer, the man currently fighting for his life because, well, I was drowning him before you rudely interrupted, as well as myself and the Beast are pretty much immune to bullets, but by all means, you're quite welcome to try." Realising there's a figure standing still and silent at the entrance at the alley-way, the Stranger turns to face Casey, a sinister smile creasing across his face, sending chills down every inch of her spine.  
"Hello, Miss Cooke, but I've really been looking forward to meeting you  _personally_ , once I'm done with  _all_  of this, we'll have a little chat."  
"Casey!" Isabelle calls out, racing and pushing in front of Casey, shielding her the best she can, followed by Jeffrey.  
"Stick behind me!" Jeffrey orders, aiming a Browning High-Power directly at the Stranger's head. "I got my eyes on you."  
"It's apparent that's not the only thing you have on me, Mr Janice, I was wondering when you were going to join the party, it's only fitting you depart alongside your wife and foster daughter."  
"THAT'S ENOUGH, SIR! YOU AND THIS 'OVERSEER' ARE COMING WITH US! IF YOU KNOW WHERE CRUMB IS, IT'S BEST YOU TELL US NOW"  
"No, no, no, NO, NO! CRUMB IS MINE! THEY ARE  _BOTH_  MINE!"

Without warning, the Stranger assails forward, kicking one of the Officers in the stomach and sending him flying back first into the wall, a sickly crunch following the impact. The moment the Stranger begins his rage-bursting attack, the Officers begin clumsily firing their firearms, extremely lucky not to hit Casey, Isabelle or Jeffrey in the crossfire. The barrage of bullets tears the Stranger's vest, shirt and singlet underneath to pieces, revealing a strangely ripped body, giving Kevin and the Beast a run for their money. The Strangers moves onto his next target, grabbing onto the throat of another Officer, tossing his handgun ten metres away before snapping his neck and tossing him aside within a few seconds. Arraigning onto the next Officer, catching her as she rushes to reload the Stranger slams too closed fists into the top of the Officer's head, devastating the upper part of her skull and knocking her violently into the paved ground, killing her instantly. Speedily grasping onto the deceased Officer's rifle, the Stranger throws the rifle like an assegai at high speed into the farthest Officer's chest, flinging and pinning him to the brick wall behind him. A brave Officer charges into the Stranger, finding himself held by the throat, but continues to fire his handgun into the Stranger's face, the force of the point-blank shots causing him to scream in frustration, or is it pain? As he stares up at the Officer, one of his eyes is not  _just_  heavily bleeding, but has been completely ruined, blinded by the overpowering force of the endured bullets; proving furthermore, that his durability can only go so far, a weakness that can be exploited. The Officer's refuse to cease fire, reloading their weapons as swiftly as they can manage to, but after losing four of their fellow Officers in a matter of moments, their panic is beginning to manipulate their haste. The persistence of their gunfire causes the Stranger's skin to burn, to welt, to lacerate, to bruise; a process he urgently needs to end, otherwise, the durability of his skin will fade just as quickly as the durability of his eye did.

"YOU MOTHERFUCKER!" The Stranger screams as he squeezes the Officer's head with both hands, teeth gritting together as the strength becomes more and more intoxicating.  
"NO!" David shrieks, grabbing onto the Stranger's torso and suplexing him into the ground, causing the Stranger's neck to curve unnaturally. The impact would have killed anyone else but the Stranger is only dazed by the impression, only for David to kick him in the ribs, sending the Stranger crashing into the bumper of the car he'd thrown him through moments before, crushing the whole front of the car completely. "Hold your fire! It's not going to do any good anyway! Leave this to me and Crumb! Wherever the fuck he is."  
Outlandishly enough, the Officers do what David commands them, ceasing their gunfire and taking the free time to reload the weaponry, with the remaining Officers searching through every pouch for magazines or shells; the sight causes the Stranger to chuckle to himself, regardless of his discomfort.  
"WHERE DID THAT FIRE COME FROM, OLD MAN?!" The Stranger growls, wiping the blood from his eye. "Goddammit, I really fucking liked my left eye, it was my scoping eye."  
"Seems fighting me and Kevin has become twice as difficult."  
"I wouldn't say  _twice_ as difficult," the Stranger snarls, cracking his neck as he takes an unnoticed step towards the handgun he'd tossed on the ground. "Somewhat difficult fits much more in place, wouldn't you think? If I have one eye, I'll still be able to kill both of you, just as I promised."

David launches his fist forward, hitting the Stranger in the face before he can react, but the second duo of clouts David heaves is caught faster than he can blink.  
"You wanna' know the difference between you and me, Dunn?" The Stranger whispers as he holds onto David's fist, each of the super-humans fighting the other's strength. "You have three weaknesses, while I only have one."  
"I can see  _your_ weakness already, your durability only goes so far, the gunfire has significantly weakened you, you've lost one eye, you're bruised and slashed, probably bruised on the inside too. If you continue fighting, you're going to end up killed."  
"If that is the price to pay for killing you and the weakling on the roof then fine, but the difference between you and me is that my weakness is quite simple; I'm not indestructible, my durability only goes as far as my will does, and I must admit, my will is declining," the Stranger sighs, his strength vanishing for only a moment before re-emerging, finding himself back in the fight against David's persistent strength. "But you have three weaknesses that I've studied for not weeks, not months, but years, learning how to exploit those weaknesses. One, your son Joseph. Two, your weakness to water."  
"And three?" David taunts, pushing his fists against the Stranger's grip.  
"THIS!" The Stranger shouts, pushing through David's strength before gripping onto the hood of his poncho, only to then tear it off completely, taking away his  _one_  tool of concealment and revealing his face to the Officers around him, the multiple surveillance cameras active in the area, as well as Casey's foster parents; the Overseer doesn't exist anymore, now he's only David Dunn, revealed to the world forever.


	11. Not Our End, But Our Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, guys... I know I've taken my time with this... I'm really sick at the moment so this has really taken its time... I'm so sorry... but guys... this is it... this is the end of Repentance... I've sought to mould this conclusion into the best possible closing of the story... a bit of action at the start... then some drama... then some well-deserved love... and it's been an absolute blast, guys! I thank everyone who has read this... sent me reviews... kudos... showed me your compassion for the story... you are all prime examples of the reason I do this. I apologize for it taking so long... but better later than never, right? I love you all... and thank you for everything. Love from ThePurpleChronicler.

"THIS!" The Stranger shouts, pushing through David's strength before gripping onto the hood of his poncho, only to then tear it off completely, taking away his  _one_  tool of concealment and revealing his face to the Officers around him, the multiple surveillance cameras active in the area, as well as Casey's foster parents; the Overseer doesn't exist anymore, now he's only David Dunn, revealed to the world forever. "Weakness number three exploited, now for your second weakness."  
Making use of David's shock, the Stranger kicks David's legs from under him, knocking him to the ground and positioning his head right above the water-filled pothole. David attempts to snap back from the ground, but with a strongly placed boot on the top of his head, David is now stuck in his position, at the mercy of the Stranger and the water below, even the slightest dip of water on the tip of his nose weakens him. Every second he remains in his position, it becomes harder and harder to breathe, hearing the click of a pistol's hammer and the sight of the Police Officers directing their weapons back onto the Stranger, doesn't exactly help his situation either.  
"IF I EVEN SUSPECT YOU FUCKS ARE GOING TO WASTE ANY MORE OF THOSE PRECIOUS BULLETS ON ME, I WILL DROWN  _DAVID_   _DUNN_  HERE! AND ONCE I'M DONE WITH HIM, I WILL KILL THE REST OF YOU WITH SOME GOOD OLD FASHIONED CARNAGE! THEN! I'LL STRANGLE CRUMB TO DEATH WITH HIS OWN GUTS, BUT BEFORE I DO THAT! I'M GOING TO FLAY THE UNCLE'S FAVOURITE LITTLE GIRL, AS WELL AS HER, BURDENED FOSTER PARENTS WHILE HE WATCHES!" The Stranger screams as he reloads a handgun he'd taken from one of the deceased Officers, only to then direct it past the Officers and in the general direction of Casey, Jeffrey and Isabelle. "OR YOU CAN JUST WALK AWAY? YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO SAVE FIVE OF YOUR FELLOW OFFICERS, BUT YOU CAN STILL SAVE YOURSELVES AND THOSE CIVILIANS YOU'RE TASKED TO PROTECT! LIVE OR DIE, MAKE YOUR CHOICE! AND SOON?! TICK TOCK, TICK TOCK, I'M RUNNING OUT OF FUCKING PATIENCE!"  
"Try it, asshole," Jeffrey warns, gritting his teeth together. "All I see right now are vale threats."  
"Then you're not paying attention then, are you?" The Stranger chuckles. "It's not every day I give the chance to walk away from all of this unscathed, but due to the fact that I'm only after Kevin and David here, I'm giving you that chance, Mr Janice, so think hard on this one. That goes for everyone here except Kevin and David here, of course."

"You've taken the lives of five Officers, men and women with friends, families, people that cared about them, people that would have done anything to get them back," one of the Officers calls back out, pulling back the slide of his rifle. "In the name of the Philadelphia Police Department, you are under arrest, our body cameras have your face, you kill us, you just add more charges to your inevitable arrest. Give up now and go peacefully, otherwise, you give us no choice but to use force."  
"You have to be some of the feeble-minded Police Officers I've ever killed, but if that's how you desire to play the game, then fine, but I hope you recognise that everything that comes next is on the lot of you and it'll all be recorded on those body cams of yours. All of this will be a message to your friends and families that inevitable watch the horror that's about to commence," the Stranger chuckles, clicking his jaw in place with his one free hand. "I hope they remember you all, and I hope they can identify your bodies once I'm done with all of this, don't say I didn't give you a chance to walk away."  
With a wicked smirk still creased to his face and a maddened look in his eye, the Stranger pushes his foot down, sending David's face into the puddle, submerging him regardless of his futile fighting, regardless of the strength still remains. The moment David's face touches the puddle, the Officers give the Stranger plead one final warning before they begin opening fire, but they're too late, the Stranger manages to squeeze the trigger of the handgun in his grasp directly at Casey, determined to wound her, if not to wipe her from the face of the Earth. Pushing himself in front of Casey at the  _very_ last second, Jeffrey is the one to take the bullet, feeling as in one fell swoop the bullet pierces through one side of his collarbone and out the other, sending him plummeting to the ground, screaming as the Stranger watches with a smile on his face.  
"DAD?!" Casey shrieks at the top of her lungs, bending down to apply pressure onto his wound, Isabelle following closely behind.  
"JEFF!" Isabelle joins her foster daughter's screams.  
His eye is gone, he's bruised nearly beyond repair, and the bullets are causing his skin to throb, sure, but the gratification of watching Jeffrey fall to the ground, screaming, and knowing very well that this is only the beginning of their suffering, makes it all worth it in the end,  _all_ worth it.

The roar comes first from above, but the speed that follows is uncounterable, with a grip on the hair the Stranger has torn away from his position, David's face is free to rise to fresh air and the weapon to instantly knocked from the Stranger's grasp. With vicious intent the Stranger's head splinters into the ground, the force beginning a large imprint and dazing him severely, allowing the gripper to pick the Stranger up by the body and send him flying into the indentation in the brick wall, the place Kevin laid minutes ago, however, horizontally this time around, creating a much larger indentation overall. The Stranger glides off the wall and onto the cold hard ground, the whites of his eyes a shade of bewildered blood red as if his throat has been crushed but at first glance, everything seems to be physically fine, for now. The Beast grips onto David's poncho, lifting and dragging him from the puddle like he weighs nothing, only to softly lay him a few metres away from the Police Officers, who by the looks on their faces, don't know whether or not they should draw their weapons at the Beast of the Stranger. When the Beast's eyes meet Casey's, they soften significantly, either a sign of the Beast's submissive behaviour in her presence, Kevin's adoration for her, or more likely, Kevin's deep regret of Casey having to see him like this; ugly, menacing, monstrous, and willing to kill if that means saving innocent lives. Regardless of how this is going to end, Kevin knows he must face one hell of a fight. Only this time, he's going to do whatever it takes to win.  
"Now that fucking hurt," the Stranger says, attempting to chuckle as he finds himself to his feet, but only going as far as nearly coughing up a lung. "Fuck, glad to have you re-joining the party, Crumb, especially in such an entrance, I was starting to miss you."  
"You're done hurting people," the Beast growls, perching onto the ground and digging his giant hands into the burning hot, hard cement. "Back down or else."  
"Or else what, Crumb?! f you're going to end this little charade between us, you're going to have to kill me, otherwise I will skin your whore alive-"

Without even the slightest warning, the Beast storms at the Stranger at a velocity nearly unimaginable to the human eye, picking up the Stranger and hurling him as well as himself into the brick wall, propelling each of the superhumans straight through the wall and into an abandoned theatre. Resuming immediately, the Beast picks up the Stranger once more and slams him into the solid ground, again, again and again before throwing the Stranger into an antique piano. The combined force and velocity of collision shatters the piano, sending a shockwave throughout the entirety of the theatre, causing old lights and chandeliers to swing, shake, twirl and break off their chains; prompting the lights to befall and fragment against the terrain. Before the Beast can continue on his assault, one of the lights collides against the ground, letting out a great, bright spark, a spark that blinds the Beast, forcing him out of the light and delivering him into vulnerability; a state the Stranger wishes to take full advantage of.  
"Oh, how the tides have turned for the Beast," the Stranger chuckles, kicking a now vulnerable Kevin in the chest, sending him flying across the ruined auditorium and onto the stage, the force knocking the wind straight out of him, if not shattering his sternum at the impact of such strength. Slowly gathering himself back to his feet, the Stranger cracks his back in multiple places before he begins to slowly totter his way towards Kevin, one of his legs showing clear signs of deterioration. "This is  _my_ city, Crumb,  _my_  jungle,  _my_  playground, not yours, just look at yourself, one small spark of light and your tail goes rushing between your legs, one small spark of light and any form of strength rushes from your body." The Stranger stands above Kevin, gazing down at him as Kevin tries to find himself back to his feet, appearing disoriented, scrambled. "One more punch and it'll be all over, but because it's going to this  _easy_ , I want you to face me while you die."  
"And that will be your ruin," Kevin whispers.  
"What?!"

Taking the Stranger by surprise, Kevin swings his elbow backwards, hitting the Stranger in the nose and causing him to stagger backwards, not the hardest knock he's delivered to him but a hard hit without a doubt. Finding himself to his feet, standing tall, back straight without flaw and hands clenched into unyielding fists, Kevin turns to face the Stranger, but yet, it's not Kevin at all facing him, but someone else completely.  
"You must be the long lost Dennis, right?" The Stranger questions, spitting out a tooth. "I've read about you, you're a tough son of a bitch, you're quite strong too for a human, why would someone like you protect a weakling like Kevin."  
"That is correct, I told Kevin I'd find my way back, it appears I came back in perfect timing," Dennis states, subtly entering a fighting stance. "As for defending Kevin, I'm only doing what he's done for all of us, so many sacrifices have been made to protect all of us,  _my_  sacrifice is the reason he has control of the Beast in the first place.  _Now_  all I have to do is stall you until the Beast is able to find himself back into the light, and into the fight."  
The Stranger chuckles. "You think you're capable of stalling  _me_?"  
"In your current state, you're strength and durability is fading, you said so yourself," Dennis sighs. "I guess we're both about to find out."  
"Yes, I believe we are," the Stranger agrees, projecting a punch towards Dennis, only to have the punch secured by Dennis, although he struggles to compete with the Stranger's strength, Dennis remains vigilant. "Impressive, Dennis, but it's going to be all in vain."  
"Look!" Dennis growls, pushing the Stranger away from him. "I don't want to hurt you, and as much it seems like it, neither does Kevin! Will you not hear to reason?!"  
"I will hear you all die screaming!"

The Stranger projects another downward punch towards Dennis, aiming to crush Dennis by the force of such a blow, but Dennis swiftly manoeuvres out of the way, watching as the punch leaves a crater into the stage. Acting quickly Dennis fires a barrage of punches into Stranger's face before kicking his weakened leg, causing the Stranger to fall on one knee, allowing him to fire another barrage of blows into the Stranger's face, after a while, however, punching the Stranger begins to feel like punching concrete, leaving him with bruised and bloodied fists.  
"Kevin?!" Dennis screams, backing away from the slowly recovering Stranger. "I know I've only been back for like a minute or two, but if you could let the Beast out of his cage, that would be quite appreciated, so, whenever the fuck you're ready."  
"It seems the man you're protecting has forsaken you, Dennis, he's weak and powerless, that's why you're fighting an uphill battle."  
"Oh, not necessarily," Dennis says, the tone of his voice changing to dark and monstrous, body shifting back into its beastly form. "Thank you, Dennis, but I will take care of this son of a bitch myself. No more trinkets or lights to hide behind now-"  
"Or water," David adds as he leaps onto the stage, looking out of place without his hood to mask his identity. The sound of the remaining Police Officers' slow approach is audible, it's only a matter of time before they themselves are in the theatre. "There's two of us and one of you, considering your current state, it's over now."  
"You don't understand what will happen if I don't kill both of you!" The Stranger screams, wiping the blood from his eye once again. "Look at me, I'm a walking liability now, this whole conflict has damaged me beyond improvement, if you both don't kill me at this very moment, I'll end up dead anyway, so I'd rather die on my own terms; by hopefully taking both of you with me."

"Tell us who you work for, we can find them and we can- we can stop them before they hurt you-"  
"Nobody can stop The Black Clover, not even an Overseer and a Beast can lay a dent in them, they're a small group of individuals but they have eyes and ears everywhere, there'll see you coming before you even come close to deciding that you're going after them," the Stranger lets out a deep sigh as he stares at the ground. "They want you dead because you've caught too much attention, they don't want the world knowing that superhumans exist in the world. They want the world to continue the normal way of life, for people not to have to worry about superhuman serial killers, criminals and terrorists. They've killed every other superhuman they've come across, they don't have to worry about Elijah Price because he's in a psych ward until the end of his days, you two are their top contenders right now, considering the reports on the both of you, once you're both dead, it's them that don't have to worry anymore."  
"They're using you," David states. "They're using you to do their dirty work."  
"I know, I'm perfectly fine with that, taking life it's not just a job now, it's a life-cycle choice, it's an obsession, I'm too far gone to change," the Stranger chuckles, weakly standing up straight before holding his arms up. "If I don't make it through what's about to happen, can you guys give a dying man two final wishes."

David and the Beast glance at one another for a few seconds, subtly asking one another in silence before looking back at the Stranger. David is the one to speak. "What could you possibly want from the men you're desperately trying to kill?!"  
"First, I want you guys to go fuck yourselves, and second, at the Hale Building at Chestnut Street on the third floor, there are a list of coordinates, a failsafe if you will, that's where you can find members of The Black Clover. They have weak minds, you'll be able to interrogate them for easy information, do me a favour, hunt them down and stop them from hurting or using anyone else, they must be stopped, just not by  _me_. I know it's a lot to ask, but at least think about for a dying young man with nothing, if anyone is capable of stopping them, it's probably both of  _you_ ," the Stranger chuckles, breathing slow and unstable as he picks up a steel pole from the ground. "Now, I think we've talked more than enough, it's time for somebody to die."  
"Please, don't do this," David pleads. "You don't have to do this."  
"Now that is where you're wrong!" The Stranger screams, lifting the pole over his shoulders to hammer it down on David's unbreakable skull. However, before he can begin attacking, a barrage of bullets hit him in the stomach and chest, causing him to drop the pole instantly and fall to his knees. The Beast, now fading back into Kevin, and David turns to face a single Police Officer, the Officer's shoulder held against a now smoking, empty rifle, sweat pouring down his face and a single tear of relief rolling down his cheek. The superhumans then gaze back at the dying Stranger, watching as blood seeps from the bullet wounds all over his torso, a bleeding smile creased peacefully onto his face. "If it means anything, I wasn't- going to hurt the people you love, as for- trying to kill both of you, I'm sorry, it was either- your lives- or mine and my family's. Re- Remember, they need to be stopped, you- you're the last hope I have left."  
The Stranger slumps onto the cold stage, landing in a warm puddle of his own blood, eyes still wide open, even after death. Without any form of reluctance, David wanders up to the Stranger's body, softly closing his eyes in respect before shaking his head in frustration.  
"He's gone," David sighs, standing up and facing the Officer. "So, what happens next, Officer? Bullets don't work on us, not that you have any bullets left in that rifle of yours, so I guess you better have a plan on how you can possibly arrest us. Especially considering you have no weapon and nobody to back you up."  
"In five minutes our backup will be here, but you're right, considering I'm alone I can't really do much now, can I?" The Officer sighs, staring at Kevin and David with drained, distrusting eyes. "I guess that gives the two a five-minute head start, take it or leave it, I can't force you to do anything."

Dropping his weapon on the ground, the Officer begins wandering out of the theatre, using the hole in the wall as an exit and leaving Kevin and David alone.  
"So, what do we do?!" Kevin asks David, heart pounding in his chest at the thought of being so close to Casey, but yet so far. "I don't want to leave Casey, I can't leave her, not now, not after everything that's been said and done, but if we stay, we both go to prison together; I'm a convicted killer and you've been exposed to only God knows how many surveillance cameras, they could probably arrest you for the assault of all of the criminals you've stopped. Justice at it's fucking finest.  
"Welcome to fucking Philadelphia, right?" David scoffs. "Sad truth is my company probably built in those cameras, another sad truth is I'm going to flee the city with Joseph, we've had a plan just in case I ever got exposed to the world, we have money and passports saved up in our safe, we can go just about anywhere, but-"  
"But what?" Kevin questions, shaking his head in frustration when David says nothing. "But what, David?! We're running out of time here, we have to make a choice!"  
"The Hale Building at Chestnut Street, the coordinates that lead to the members of The Black Clover, I don't think he was lying about that, I genuinely believe that he's giving us a lead to something bigger than both of us combined," David suggests, taking a step towards a reluctant Kevin. "If we leave right now, we can get back to my shop, pack everything we need and go to The Hale Building before nightfall, but if we're going to do it, we're going to have to leave now, while we still can. We can find The Black Clover together; me, you and Joseph, but  _only_ me, you and Joseph. I need you with me on this because if we don't do this, the people we care about we never be safe."  
"I don't want to leave Casey," Kevin whispers, tears rolling down his cheeks. "I'm in love with her, she'll never forgive me if I leave."  
"If Casey  _truly_  loves you, Kevin, then she'll forgive you, it may take some time, but she'll forgive because you're not leaving her forever. I promise you, Crumb, that we  _will_ come back to Philadelphia once everything settles down and once The Black Clover, whoever they may be, are stopped, that way everyone we care about is truly safe," David explains, each of the superhumans hearing sirens in the distance. "Trust me on this, because I trust you, Kevin, you've saved my life too many times for me  _not_ to trust you. Are you with me? If you're with me, we have to go, and  _now_."  
His body shaking, heart pounding and eyes soaked in tears, Kevin looks back at the hole in the wall, knowing very well that Casey is out there, attending to her foster father's gunshot wound, praying to God that Kevin will run to her and tell her that everything is going to be okay. The thought breaks his heart, the final decision he makes tears it out of his chest, displaying it for the world to see; a Beast's heart, now cold and drowning in regret. "I'm so sorry, Casey, I hope that one day you'll forgive me. I love you."

* * *

_**18 Months later** _

Casey wanders through the Philadelphia Zoo, alone, silent but wearing her badge and a smile proudly on her face as she passes visitants, the passing visitants grinning faces and laughing voices making her day feeling more and more pleasant each time she sees them. The start of her day was similar to the start to every day since Kevin disappeared; leaving her comfortable bed is an effort, finding herself to the Zoo for her shift is even worse, but at the very least, getting the kids ready for school and seeing looks of joy on visitants makes her day not feel as bad, makes the sandpaper pill easier to swallow. Ever since Kevin disappeared, however, her insomnia has come back, most nights she can't sleep, but when she can sleep, she has terrible, terrible nightmares about Kevin; where he could be, what could be happening to him, he could dead or worse, captured by another superhuman asshole with a lust for blood. She cried for weeks after his disappearance, she cried for him but stopped after a few weeks only to begin crying again after she thought she was okay, this time for David and Joseph, who she, unfortunately, can't even see for support and advice due to the fact, they disappeared alongside him. That revelation came to her when she came to David and Joseph's shop after everything died down a bit, hoping to find some answers, some comfort, some guidance even, instead, she found a dusty, empty shop, no sign of any activity for weeks, everything important was missing and their security safe was wide open. That afternoon Casey screamed in anguish, swearing that the whole city could hear her call for the one man she can't live without, but the one man who left her alone in such a dirty, violent, lonely world. The memories cause Casey to sit down onto a park bench, allowing her to slow down her breathing and stop herself from having an anxiety attack, for once, it actually works, but barely, she has to keep it together, especially in front of visitants, that's what her boss told her at least. Casey sighs as she leans back, staring at the sky for a good long minutes before finding out back to her feet and towards the tiger enclosure, checking to see if everything's in order before she gets called on the radio for sitting down for two seconds. Leaning onto the bars of the enclosure, Casey stares at the tigers, admiring their beauty, but making sure that it looks like she's busy, instead of it looking like she's wasting time until the end of her shift. The truth is, she's dreading coming home, not because of her family by any means, but because being alone in her room, makes her feel truly alone, no pack of cigarettes or bottle of booze can take that away, there's only one  _person_ , that can do that.

"Excuse me, Miss, I was wondering where I could find the bear, I'm sorry, I have been following the signs but I'm not too sure anymore, it's been some time since I've been here, seems they've changed everything."  
"Oh, the bear, the bear enclosure is located on the west side of the Zoo, if you follow the path you're currently following, you'll find a small station with some maps, once you've found a map, finding the bear enclosure will become a breeze," Casey explains, still staring at the tiger enclosure, feeling so tired that she doesn't realise how rude she's being. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry, I should look at you when we're-" Casey pauses, eyes widening and face becoming drained of colour at the sight of who she's talking to. "Talking."  
In front of her, wearing blue jeans, a white singlet and black leather jacket over the singlet, with short light brown hair tufted under a Philadelphia Zoo hat, with no sign of his shaved head anywhere to be seen, and a beautiful short brown and ginger beard, stands Kevin, looking like a completely different person; probably the most incognito he could ever be, but he still looks like Kevin,  _Casey's_  Kevin. Without warning, the colour begins filling her face once more, but this time it's an enraged blood red filling her face, and that sight alone informs Kevin of what's coming, yet he does nothing, allowing her to slap him in the face with some serious force. While the first slap was expected, the second and third, not so much.

"YOU- You are a fucking asshole for leaving me, how could you leave me?! After everything we went through together, you back up and leave me without even saying goodbye?!" Casey questions, careful not to raise her voice and create a scene, but with each second that passes it becomes more and more difficult not to slap him in the face again, in doing so, ensuring that a scene is created. "Where the fuck have you been?! Where are David and Joseph?! Are they safe?! Are they okay?! You answer me my questions right now, K.W.C, or I swear to God I'll-"  
"David and Joseph are okay, better than okay, they're off getting food from their favourite restaurant while I'm here speaking to you, you- you look well, by the way-"  
"Quit the compliments, I want some real good excuses as to why I've been waiting for you to come back for nearly eighteen months! God, it's been eighteen months?! Eighteen months you left me for, Kevin! Eighteen!"  
"Trust me, I know, I've been counting down every single day and it's been hell, far, far worse than being in prison, as for any justifications, all I have is, I had to flee from the police, protect David from being prosecuted for his Overseer activities and protect Joseph from being prosecuted as an accomplice to those activities. Each of them would have faced some serious time for their so-called 'crimes', so yes, I fled, but I fled to protect them, but also because I'm a coward who couldn't face an inevitable prosecution, in doing so, leaving the one person I can't live without on her own in such a disgusting city, hell, I even missed your birthday, the one day I never wanted to miss, the day I never want to miss again," Kevin sighs, his eyes already tearing up at the sight of Casey's hurt. How could he put her in such a position? How could he break her heart just like that? The regret is intoxicating, makes his head feel dizzy and unbalanced, he could almost get drunk off it if he wanted to, damn shame he doesn't. "I'm sorry for leaving you, especially for so long, I wanted to take you with me, but, all of us would have been arrested if I did, including you, because you would have tried to protect me, and the truth is, I couldn't let that happen to you, I wouldn't let you suffer because of me, but, you ended up suffering because of me anyway."  
"Did you not care how  _I_ may have felt if you left me alone?! Did you even think about it or did you do it without second thought?!"  
"Of course I thought about it! It felt like my mind was shattering when I was forced to make that choice, hell, the decision was tearing me to pieces. My heart desperately wanted to stay with you and ready myself for a life behind bars, but my mind adhered to the idea that maybe if I left and waited for everything to calm the fuck down before coming back to Philadelphia, I'd be able to return to you quietly, cautiously and cemented, so nobody and I mean nobody would be able to between us ever again. The moment I left you behind, Casey, I found myself fighting an uphill battle, a battle I almost lost because I was drowning in regret, there were times I was going to turn myself into the police just to be able to see you one more time before I was locked in a cage for the rest of my life, but it was David that kept me in the fight, because we had some things we needed to take care of before we could ever come back to our homes in Philadelphia. That's precisely why we took so long, if it was up to me, we would have come back months ago, but it wasn't safe months ago, but now everything is over, I don't have to look behind our shoulders everywhere we go."

"Wait, what?! What did you have to take care of?!" Casey questions, crossing her arms as visitants walk past, being extra careful not to create a scene as they walk past. Once the group of visitants begin to become smaller and smaller, Casey speaks again, this time much calmer, at least for now, to Kevin's relief. "What could have possibly taken eighteen months?"  
"David, Joseph and myself, before we fled Philadelphia we acquired coordinates from the guy that attacked us eighteen months ago, coordinates that lead to affiliates of the society that hired him to kill us in the first place, The Black Clover they  _called_ themselves. It took a month for us to find the first affiliate, even with Joseph's skills, but once we got a hold of him, it didn't take us long to get the information we needed before dropping him off to the authorities, ensuring we had a list of their crimes and evidence too prove that list as relevant. After a while we got pretty good at it, so good at it, in fact, we became ghosts; we could hunt down, capture, interrogate and turn in members of The Black Clover before anyone noticed us. We hunted them down, one by one, each affiliate led to another, sometimes one led to multiple, but they all had one thing in common, they betrayed their own just to a few more seconds of freedom, some took a little more  _convincing_ , but generally, they had no loyalty to one another whatsoever, they're a bunch of psychopaths that will never hurt society ever again," Kevin sighs, sitting down on the bench with his face in his hands. "Eighteen months all three of us fought to take down The Black Clover and now that we have, the exhaustion is starting to take over. I wanted to find you as soon as possible, so I did the logical thing and asked your parents after somehow finding the courage."  
"You asked my mom and dad?! You really did that?" Casey asks, sitting down beside him, softly placing her hand in his own. "Weren't you afraid of getting caught?"  
"I was more afraid of spending another second away from, I've missed you so terribly, Casey, so much so that after today I never want to be away from you," Kevin states, his eyes staring into her own but only to fall back onto the ground. "But because of who I am and what  _I've_ technically done, living a peaceful life will forever be difficult, will forever be rolling dice. Joseph was able to organise fake IDs for all three of us, but all it takes is one person and I could be compromised all over again, only this time I'm not running, I won't leave you, Casey, not this time."

"What if The Black Clover come back?"  
"Casey, that's unlikely but you're right, there's always a chance."  
"So what happens if they do come back?" Casey asks, raising his face to face hers. "What will  _we_ do?"  
"If they ever come back, then  _we'll_  fight them, together, all  _four_ of us, again and again until there's  _nobody_  left for them to send, we're in this together now, me and you, Casey, until my last breath, you'll have me by your side-"  
Without warning, Casey's lips softly clash against Kevin's, both of their eyes closing following contact, it may look unprofessional but Casey couldn't give a rat's ass, this is what she's waited eighteen months for; to be able to kiss the  _one_  person she can't live without, not anymore. Their kiss alone is a promise within itself, but just for safe keeping, she has to make sure as she pulls away from the kiss. "I don't care about the risks, about having to be careful, us being together is peaceful enough for me, Kevin. Do you promise me that we'll stay together no matter what? No matter what happens, do you promise that you won't leave me?"  
"Does forever sound like an acceptable promise?" Kevin asks, holding his nose against hers. "Because I can't leave you ever again, Casey, you have me, you have my heart, forever."  
"Forever sounds like music to my eyes," Casey giggles before kissing him again. "I love you, Kevin."  
"And I love you, Casey."

...As long as they have each other... everything is going to be okay.


End file.
